A St. Louis-centric guide to sports on TV on Thanksgiving
Whether you're looking for something to watch as you prepare your Thanksgiving feast or seeking a soundtrack to your post-meal nap, there are plenty of televised sporting events to pick from on Thursday.
In addition to the customary three NFL games and a college football game, there are 15 men's college basketball games and one women's college game.
Here's a look at all the major American sporting events that you can watch Thursday on Thanksgiving Day, many of which feature St. Louis ties:
Green Bay (4-6) at Detroit (8-2), 11:30 a.m., FOX, KTVI (Channel 2) in St. Louis
This game features numerous St. Louisans including Lions receiver Jameson Williams (Cardinal Ritter), tight end Sam LaPorta (Highland), kicker Riley Patterson (Edwardsville) and punter Jack Fox (Ladue).
Williams had one of the better games of his career on Sunday vs. the Bears.
Packers safety Jonathan Owens (CBC) gets more ink as the husband of Simone Biles than for his exploits on the field, but he's tallied 25 tackles across his last three games.
The Lions, with four straight wins in the series, have a chance to win five in a row for the first time since an 11-game winning streak from 1949-54.
Washington (4-7) at Dallas (7-3), 3:30 p.m., CBS, KMOV (Channel 4) in St. Louis
This is the 11th Thanksgiving game between Washington and Dallas, by far the most for the Cowboys (Miami is second with five). Dallas is 8-2, though Washington won the most recent meeting on the holiday, 41-16 in 2020 on the way to the only playoff appearance under coach Ron Rivera.
The Cowboys are trying to extend their longest home winning streak in four decades. Dallas has won 12 in a row at AT&T Stadium.
San Francisco (7-3) at Seattle (6-4), 7:20 p.m., NBC, KSDK (Channel 5) in St. Louis
San Francisco is 2-2-1 in Thanksgiving games but hasn’t won one since 1972 at Dallas. Niners QB Brock Purdy is coming off one of the most productive two-game stretches in NFL history. He was 40 for 51 for 629 yards, six TDs, no INTs and a 157.3 passer rating that is the best ever in a two-game stretch.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Mississippi at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Though the Bulldogs are struggling, the Egg Bowl usually delivers. The last four Egg Bowl matchups have been decided by 20 total points. The road team has won five of the last eight matchups.
Penn State vs. No. 12 Texas A&M (at Orlando, Florida), 11 a.m., ESPN
Guard Nick Kern Jr. (Vashon) starts for the Nittany Lions, but he hasn't yet found his rhythm after transferring to Penn State along with his coach, Mike Rhoades. Both were at VCU last season.
Kern won't find it easy to get going Thursday, as he and the Nittany Lions will be heavy underdogs against the Aggies and their top-tier defense.
Northern Iowa vs. Texas Tech (at Paradise Island, Bahamas), 11 a.m., ESPN2
The Panthers, who have more Arch Madness titles than any team since the tournament moved to St. Louis, are underdogs against Texas Tech a day after falling to nationally ranked North Carolina. But don't count Northern Iowa out. The Panthers are 23-19 in multi-team events.
Loyola-Chicago vs. Boston College (at Kansas City), 12:30 p.m., CBSSN
This one is expected to be close, as two middling teams battle for third place in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. The Ramblers were picked eighth in the A-10, two spots behind St. Louis U., but they currently rank ahead of the struggling Billikens so far, according to Ken Pomeroy. Two of Loyola's three losses were to top 25 teams.
No. 14 North Carolina vs. Villanova (at Paradise Island, Bahamas), 1:30 p.m., ESPN
This is the top game of the day, according to Ken Pomeroy's fan match, which tries to measure games by thrill score. Pomeroy projects North Carolina to win by one point. North Carolina has yet to be tested, while Villanova has dropped a game at Penn and played better competition overall. Both are projected NCAA Tournament teams, per ESPN's Bracketology.
No. 19 Florida Atlantic vs. Butler (at Orlando, Florida), 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
Butler big man Connor Turnbull (Fort Zumwalt North) has a big stage on which to showcase his emergence against a team that made the Final Four last year and features a great big man of its own in Vladislav Goldin. The 6-foot-10 Turnbull has 10 blocks already this season.
Iowa vs. Oklahoma (at San Diego), 2 p.m., Fox Sports 1
This could be one of the best games of the day. Ken Pomeroy has Oklahoma with a 54% chance to win, and his projection is an 81-80 Sooners win. Sophomore forward Yaya Keita (De Smet) plays sparingly for the Sooners.
No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 21 Michigan State (at Palm Springs, California), 3 p.m. FOX, KTVI (Channel 2) in St. Louis
St. Louis native Caleb Love (CBC) and the fast-paced Wildcats face a tough test vs. Michigan State, a team seeking redemption after two early-season losses, one to James Madison.
No. 8 Creighton vs. Colorado State (at Kansas City), 3 p.m., CBSSN
Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner (Trinity Catholic) is one of college basketball's best big men.
Memphis vs. No. 20 Arkansas (at Paradise Island, Bahamas), 4 p.m., ESPN
Continued strong play for Memphis, which won at Mizzou earlier this month, can only help bolster the Tigers' resume. The Tigers are in the top 40 in both offense and defense, according to Ken Pomeroy. The Razorbacks played a double-overtime thriller late Wednesday, so rest could be a major advantage for Memphis.
Iowa State vs. VCU (at Orlando, Florida), 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Keshon Gilbert (Vashon), in his first year in Ames after transferring from UNLV, is one of the Cyclones' leading scorers. VCU is picked second in the Atlantic 10 and visits Chaifetz Arena in mid-February.
Seton Hall vs. No. 23 Southern Cal (at San Diego), 4:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
LeBron James' son Bronny, who suffered a cardiac arrest in July and underwent surgery, warmed up this week before a USC game for the first time. It's unclear when he'll appear in a game. DJ Rodman, son of NBA great Dennis, starts at forward for the Trojans.
Michigan vs. Stanford (at Paradise Island, Bahamas), 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Michigan sophomore big man Tarris Reed Jr. (Chaminade) is emerging in response to a bigger role. He's the team's second-leading rebounder and grabbed a career-best 11 boards earlier this month vs. St. John's. Reed has yet to hit double figures in scoring, but he's shooting 56% from the floor. Stanford faces a short turnaround after a double-overtime loss to No. 20 Arkansas late Wednesday.
Boise State vs. Virginia Tech (at Orlando, Florida), 7 p.m., ESPN2
Boise State looks a bit down after back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and while Virginia Tech, picked eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, may be improved, the Broncos face a difficult game. Ken Pomeroy gives the Hokies a slight advantage and projects a 73-72 win.
North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt (at Paradise, Nevada), 9 p.m., ESPN2
North Carolina State's strong offense combined with a suspect Vanderbilt defense give the Wolfpack a solid advantage in this matchup of power-conference teams that look unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou transfer Mohamed Diarra starts for the Wolfpack and averages 8.3 points per game.
BYU vs. Arizona State (at Paradise, Nevada), 11:30 p.m., ESPN2
BYU's fourth-ranked scoring offense (95.5 points per game) runs into a stout Arizona State defense in what'll be a Big 12 matchup, oddly enough, in the future. The Cougars could move into the top 25 with a good showing in this four-team event.
No. 19 Tennessee vs. No. 21 Indiana (at Fort Myers, Florida), 5 p.m., FOX, KTVI (Channel 2) in St. Louis
This matchup pits two coaches who cut their teeth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Tennessee's Kellie Harper was at Missouri State from 2013-19, while Indiana's Teri Moren spent four years at Indiana State from 2010-14.
Expect lots of scoring, as both are in the top 20 nationally, with Indiana averaging 87.2 points per game and Tennessee 92.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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