You've woken up early, despite having the day off, to start a marathon day of cooking TikTok recipes ahead of Thanksgiving. Your family has already gotten into four arguments about politics, most recently regarding why you're abstaining from eating turkey this year. You stole a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast and you're still in your pajamas watching the Macy's Day Parade, wishing you could float away to a peaceful place in the house to avoid all the family drama — but you secretly love all the chaos, because it means you're together with the people you love.
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National Family Week, National Day of Mourning, Unthanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Turkey Day, Holiday, whatever you celebrate — it's become a day to express gratitude, and one thing I know sports fans across the country are grateful for is: all the Thanksgiving sports action. Here's your guide to all the Thursday broadcasts you can use to avoid your crazy family.
NFL Thanksgiving Lineup
The NFL's Thursday lineup packs some heavy hitters. The action is spaced perfectly throughout the day, so whether your Thanksgiving feast happens in the middle of the afternoon, early evening, or late into the night, you'll be able to catch a game or two. And sure, Thursday's shortened week still feels controversial, but this Thursday the action is bringing families together and offering refuge for others who may have a challenging family dynamic. Thank You, NFL.
Buffalo Bills (7-3) at Detroit Lions (4-6) - CBS 12:30 p.m. EST
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RELATED: Does Buffalo's Early Trip to Detroit Spoils the Lions Home-Field Advantage on Thanksgiving Day?
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills find themselves playing at Detroit's Ford Field yet again, four days after a wild snow storm forced the team out of Buffalo for their scheduled Week 11 home game. It makes one wonder why the Bill's decided to return to the aggressive upstate New York snow, instead of sparing themselves a shortened travel week for the Thanksgiving game. Following the Browns game, Bills reporter, Rachel Hopmayer tweeted, "Head coach Doug McDermott says Bills considered staying in Detroit, but with the chaotic exit from Buffalo, he thinks there's value in players returning home for a few days on a short week."
The Lions are surely hoping the back and forth affects the Buffalo powerhouse. Detroit is coming off a huge Week 11 win against another sensational New York team, the Giants. Could the Lions use that momentum to pull off a Thanksgiving upset at home? Despite their 4-6 record, Detroit hasn't looked terrible this season, quite the contrary. The majority of their losses have come in heartbreakingly close fashion against very tough teams. Can you imagine the excitement if the Lions could kick-off the Thanksgiving action by upsetting Bills Mafia? If they did, there would be a slew of grateful AFC fans.
New York Giants (7-3) at Dallas Cowboys (7-3) - FOX 4:30 p.m. EST
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RELATED: Explained: Why Dallas -9.5 is a Trap on Thanksgiving Day
Thursday's second game is guaranteed to be an electric one, as New York heads to Texas for a NFC East battle. The NFC East is a tightly wound contest led by the newly defeated Eagles, followed by the tied-for-two-spot Giants and Cowboys, with a chasing Washington Commanders team in the fourth spot. This win could potentially separate the leading NFC team from the pack come the end of regular season and ultimately decide the playoff picture.
The Giants are coming off a stunning loss to Detroit and the America's Cowboys are coming off their own shocking Week 11 performance — an insanely dominant win against Kirk Cousins' undervalued NFC North powerhouse, the Minnesota Vikings. Last week the Cowboys obliterated the Vikings 40-3, the largest road win in Dallas history. Can the Cowboys bring that same energy to rival Giants? New York is banged up and Dak Prescott appears to be over the thumb injury and firing on all cylinders. If Dallas is able to secure a win, they will break a three game Thanksgiving losing streak. It's been a whopping 30 years since the Giants and Cowboys have faced off on the holiday and with so much at stake this week, it's guaranteed to be a dramatic face-off.
New England Patriots (6-4) at Minnesota Vikings (8-2) - NBC 8:20 p.m. EST
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RELATED: Is Betting Against "Prime Time Kirk Cousins" a Smart Thanksgiving Day Move?
On paper, Thursday's final matchup looks like a no brainer. The Patriots have to march into downtown Minneapolis and face an embarrassed, ready for redemption Vikings team. Bill Belichick's Patriots have been flailing. They have only two offensive touchdowns over the last three weeks and while they are on a three game winning streak, most of the credit should be laid at their defense's feet.
The Vikings on the other hand, have been flying under the radar, with many underestimating their level of talent. Cool Guy Kirk Cousin's has helped lead the team to an impressive 8-2 record thus far and after last week's humiliating loss, we should expect Minnesota to deliver a powerful performance for their passionate hometown fanbase.
Don't Like the NFL? Go International with a World Cup Watch Party
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RELATED: Go, Go, USA!: Why This USMNT is Different From Previous Teams
Maybe American football isn't your thing and you're more of a global futbol fan — lucky for you the 2022 Fifa World Cup is currently in full swing in Qatar. You'll have to get up rather early to catch the action, but thankfully you could also replay the games on streaming.
Group G pins Switzerland vs. Cameroon and Brazil vs. Serbia, while Group H pits Uruguay vs. South Korea and Portugal vs. Ghana.
Check your local listings or Fifa's World Cup breakdown for all the details on where to stream.
College Football Rivalry Week Starts Early
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RELATED: Why is Ole Miss & Mississippi State's Rivalry Called the Egg Bowl?
Do you love football, but prefer college to the pros? Thankfully there's a heated college rivalry battle to help distract your rumbling tummy while you wait for your feast to come out of the oven. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs face No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss is looking to snatch their third consecutive Egg Bowl victory and honestly after watching their recent hype video, I can't wait to see what unfolds.
Check your local listings for kickoff time and details.
Craving College Hoops?
Lastly, the NBA may be dark on Thanksgiving, but there's plenty of college basketball excellence to feed your basketball cravings.
College basketball is serving us main dish energy with multiple top ranked teams to root for. You could easily spend the day on your couch rooting for your alma mater or favorite collegiate athletes, here are a few of the biggest games to catch.
Men's College Basketball
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Men's College Basketball: No. 3 Kansas vs. Wisconsin on ESPN at 11:00 a.m.EST
Men's College Basketball: No.1 UNC vs. Portland on ESPN at 1:00 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: USC at No. 22 Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: No. 8 Duke vs. Oregon State on ESPN at 3:00 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: No. 20 UConn at Oregon on ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: No. 24 Purdue at West Virginia at 10:00 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: No. 18 Alabama at No. 12 Michigan State on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. EST
Men's College Basketball: Portland State at No. 6 Gonzaga at 12:30 p.m. EST
Women's CollegeBasketball
Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT (left), Khoi Ton/NCAA Photos via Getty Images (right)
Women's College Basketball: George Mason at No. 12 LSU at 2:00p.m. EST
Women's College Basketball: Vanderbilt at No.13 NC State at 4:00 p.m. EST
Women's College Basketball: American at No. 7 Notre Dame at 4:15 p.m. EST
Women's College Basketball: No. 8 UNC at No. 18 Oregon at 5:00 p.m. EST
Women's College Basketball: No. 5 Iowa State at Michigan State at 7:30p.m. EST
Women's College Basketball: Clemson at No. 25 Kansas State at 8:00 p.m. EST
Be Sure to check your local listings for any changes and to ensure you catch all the exhilarating play.
Gratitude For A Robust Sports Schedule
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Whatever sport you fancy and however you choose to celebrate or not celebrate Thanksgiving, from my heart to yours: Thank You for your readership and I hope you are bursting with a joyful heart full of happiness and gratitude this holiday season. Enjoy the Thursday NFL, World Cup, College Football and College Basketball action and go ahead and have that second or third slice of pie — you deserve it.
