Lions vs. Packers Thanksgiving game: How to watch live stream, date, time, TV
NFL on Thanksgiving is the most iconic day of regular season action. This year, fans will get to watch the most iconic matchup in Thanksgiving football history. The Detroit Lions are set to take on the Green Bay Packers on Turkey Day. That is a matchup that has taken place on the holiday more than any other. So, how can you watch the action? We will explain that below.
When and where is the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration?
Last year was the first season that NFL games on Thanksgiving were labeled as the “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration.” The Detroit Lions lost their Thanksgiving game last year in heartbreaking fashion, so they will look to bounce back this year.
The Lions have the first game of Thanksgiving Day, and they will be playing at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 23.
How to watch Lions vs. Packers
The Thanksgiving game will be broadcast on FOX. You can also catch the Lions vs. Packers on live-stream using fuboTV. Kevin Burkhardt will be the play-by-play commentator, and Greg Olsen will join him to add color. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will be on the sideline.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 23 | Time:
Location: Ford Field — Detroit, Michigan
TV channel: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
FanDuel Odds: Lions -7.5 | O/U 46.5
Lions storylines
The Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year except for those during World War II since 1934. All in all, they have 83 Thanksgiving Day appearances, by far the most in the league. The Lions are 37-44-2 in those games.
On top of that, the team the Lions have most often played on the holiday is none other than the Green Bay Packers. The two have met 21 times on Thanksgiving, which is the most of any two teams in league history on the day. While the Lions have lost more than they have won on Thanksgiving, that is not the case when it comes to facing the Packers.
Detroit is 12-8-1 against Green Bay in such games. The two first met on Thanksgiving in 1951, which started a tradition of playing each year on Thanksgiving. They played each other in the game every year from 1951-1963. The two didn't meet again on Thanksgiving for over 20 years, and they only met twice more (1984, 1986) in the game over the rest of the 20th century.
The Thanksgiving rivalry has picked back up as of recent, though. This will be their seventh matchup since 2000 on the holiday.
The Lions have a good chance of continuing their winning traditions against the Packers on Thanksgiving Day this year. Detroit is 8-2 and has one of the best offenses in the NFL.
It is the first time they have been 8-2 since 1962. Jared Goff has proven he is a good starting quarterback, and he has Amon-Ra St. Brown to throw to, one of the best receivers in the NFL and someone who has played better than almost everybody for the last month.
There are a number of other weapons for Goff to work with as well, and that is why they have the fourth most touchdowns in the league. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery form one of the best rushing duos in the league, and Sam LaPorta is one of the best rookies out there.
Packers storylines
The Lions may lead the Thanksgiving series, but the Packers have gotten the best of the Lions throughout the two's historic franchise's histories. They lead their division rival 103-76-7 all-time. They have beaten the Lions more than any other team.
This season, though, the Packers are only 4-6. Only two of those wins came by more than three points, and they already lost to Detroit in Week 4. The Lions dominated in that game, and the final score was 34-20.
Jaire Alexander will always hold down the passing attack, but the Packers will have to do a better job against the run this time around. In that game, the Packers held Jared Goff to a season-low in passing yards (210), but David Montgomery ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers would also like Jordan Love to continue his hot streak. The former first-rounder has been developing all season long in his first year as the starter. The results have started to show in recent weeks.
Love's last two games were his two best games in terms of yardage. He threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns two weeks ago and 322 yards and two scores last week. Green Bay has high expectations for Love, and the Packers would love for him to show out in the national spotlight on Thanksgiving.
Love will need to step up even more if Aaron Jones is unable to go. The running back did not practice on Monday and is doubtful for the game.
The last time the Lions and Packers met on Thanksgiving was in 2013. The Lions had one of their best games ever on that day. They beat the Packers 40-10 and only allowed Green Bay to get 126 yards of total offense . It will be interesting to see what direction this game goes, as history would suggest it really could go either way.
