Thursday Night Football Odds Week 1: Ravens @ Chiefs
The first matchup of the season features the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens in this fantastic Thursday Night Football matchup.
This is a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship Game, where the Chiefs were able to go into Baltimore and get an impressive win over the No. 1 seeded Ravens. It's fascinating to see that the Chiefs are just three-point favorites over the Ravens despite being highly successful in season openers under Andy Reid.
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TNF Spread, Moneyline, & Over/Under
Compare odds from each sportsbook for each type of bet below. Click "SPREAD" to expand the menu and compare the moneyline and over/under odds.
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 1
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TNF Betting Odds: 2024 Schedule Breakdown
The Thursday Night Football schedule has been hit-or-miss over the past few seasons, but that isn't the case going into the 2024 season. The schedule is loaded with plenty of elite teams and key divisional games. Ravens-Chiefs is obviously is first in the Thursday Night Football slate, but Week 2 offers a fantastic AFC East matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
The NFL made sure to back-load the schedule with plenty of big-time divisional games, including the Bengals and Ravens in Week 10 and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in Week 12. This sets up to be one of the best Thursday Night Football schedules in NFL history.
Best TNF Matchups Based On Betting Odds
Week 1: Ravens vs. Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson make this game entertaining by themselves, but this is one of the premiere TNF games because both the Chiefs and the Ravens are Super Bowl contenders in 2024. This game could go a long way in deciding seeding in the AFC, making it one of the most important NFL games of the season.
Week 2: Bills vs. Dolphins
The second TNF game features the Bills and the Dolphins, who played in the final game of the 2023 regular season. Both teams made the playoffs last year and are competing atop the AFC East. The winner of this contest will have a big lead in the division right out of the gate.
Week 16: Browns vs. Bengals
The Browns and Bengals have played in several hard-fought games over the last decade, but this is a matchup of two teams that believe they can reach the Super Bowl this year. Both squads are loaded with talent and this should be among the most competitive matchups of the year.
Worst TNF Matchups Based On Betting Odds
Matchup 1: Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints
There aren't a lot of reasons to get excited about this matchup other than Sean Payton returning to New Orleans for the first time. That'll be a fun story for a while, until the game starts. Neither team is expected to make the postseason in 2024 and they don't have elite quarterbacks to make the game interesting.
Matchup 2: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
The Dallas Cowboys are always a big draw and an NFC East matchup is nothing to sneeze about. But this rivalry hasn't been close for several years and the Cowboys are massive favorites on the road. It's still worth watching because it's an early-season divisional game, but it certainly doesn't have the juice that other matchups do this year on Thursday Night Football.
Matchup 3: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
It wasn't that long ago when this was one of the best rivalries in all of the NFL. But with the Patriots in a full-blown rebuild, it's pretty likely they won't be competitive early on in the season. The only reason why this game is worth watching is because of Aaron Rodgers, but even then, other Thursday nights will prove to be more enjoyable than this one.
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2024 Thursday Night Football Schedule
Here is the entire Thursday Night Football schedule this season with the betting odds included. It's worth mentioning that there is a Black Friday game this season that will feature the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC West showdown. Here is a look at the complete Thursday Night Football schedule for this year:
Week 1: Baltimore Ravens (+3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 2: Buffalo Bills (+1) vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 3: New England Patriots (+7.5) vs. New York Jets
Week 4: Dallas Cowboys (-4) vs. New York Giants
Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 6: San Francisco 49ers (-5) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 7: Denver Broncos (+3.5) vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 8: Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 9: Houston Texans (+3) vs. New York Jets
Week 10: Cincinnati Bengals (+3) vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 11: Washington Commanders (+7) vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 13: Las Vegas Raiders (+7.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14: Green Bay Packers (+2.5) vs. Detroit Lions
Week 15: Los Angeles Rams (+6.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 16: Cleveland Browns (+3.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 17: Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) vs. Chicago Bears
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How To Bet On Thursday Night Football Odds
Thursday Night Football is just like any other game and there are countless ways to bet on this contest. The most popular bets include the point spread, moneyline, and the over/under. But Thursday Night Football games often bring out more prop bets and other niche bets for players.
Thursday Night Football Live Betting
Live betting is a fantastic way to bet on Thursday Night Football as it's the only football game on television. It can make even the most dull contests exciting as players can wager on updated moneylines, spreads, and even drive results.
Bet the TNF Moneyline
There isn't a simpler way to bet on Thursday Night Football than to bet on the moneyline. All bettors have to do is pick which team they believe will win the game outright. But remember, home teams win at a higher rate than road teams on Thursday Night Football, so keep that in mind before placing your bets.
Bet the TNF Spread
The most popular bet you will see on Thursday Night Football is the spread. This is the most common bet in all of sports and that won't be any different in this game. These games tend to have more random outcomes than other primetime games, so betting on the spread can be the most valuable and profitable option.
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Historical TNF Betting Trends
Thursday Night Football games tend to have higher-scoring contests than most Sunday games because the defense have the time to prepare for opposing offenses. That is why we see higher over/unders going into Thursday Night Football than in most other Sunday games.
TNF Betting Tips
Just like any NFL game, there are some rules and tips that you should follow when betting on Thursday Night Football. Here are a few specific things to keep in mind before you wager on the game:
Tip 1: Be Wary Of Betting On Road Teams
Home teams win nearly 60 percent of the time on Thursday Night Football because of the quick turnaround from Sunday. That doesn't mean to blindly pick home teams on TNF, but be cautious about betting on a big road underdog given the short week.
Tip 2: Consider Health
Because teams only have a few days to get ready to play on Thursday Night Football, make sure to stay updated on the injury report. Injured players tend to sit out more frequently on Thursday Night Football given that they are only allowed four days rest. Take a gander at the injury report before making your TNF bets.
Tip 3: Don't Overbet Thursday Night Football
Because Thursday Night Football is a stand-alone primetime game, bettors tend to wager more on this game than they would a typical Sunday afternoon contest. Make sure to keep your bets relatively small for these games and don't overexert your bankroll on one bet.
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How To Watch Thursday Night Football in 2024
Most of the Thursday Night Football games this season will be available on Amazon Prime Video, starting at 8:20 PM ET. However, there are other games throughout the season where they can be viewed on different streaming platforms, including Week 1 when the Ravens and Chiefs square off. That game will be broadcast by NBC at 8:20 PM ET.
There is also a Black Friday Thursday Night Football Game that can be watched on Amazon Prime Video the day after Thanksgiving. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call for that game despite being played on Thursday.
Final Thoughts
Thursday Night Football has been a staple of the NFL for nearly two decades and it always kicks off the first game of that week. With more states legalizing sports betting, it means even more eyes on Thursday Night Football. The NFL has tried to get better matchups on Thursdays and this should be one of the best TNF slates in league history.
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TNF Odds FAQ
The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-point favorites over the Baltimore Ravens in the first Thursday Night Football game of the week. However, with the game still over a month away, those odds can change drastically after the preseason.
Players can use a variety of legal sportsbooks to wager on Thursday Night Football. Players can bet in all types of ways including moneyline, point spread, over/under, and prop bets. There are countless ways to be on TNF.
The home team went 11-6 on the moneyline last year, but only 8-9 ATS. Historically, the home team has won around 58 percent of the time, but that number has dipped to 50 percent over the last five seasons.
Thursday Night Football started in 2006 and the Indianapolis Colts have the most wins with 12. The Dallas Cowboys come in second with 11, but have won 41 total games on Thursday in their franchise's history.
The Colts have the best record against the spread on Thursday Night Football.
Thursday Night Football can be watched on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8:00 PM ET. Viewers can watch the game from the comfort of their own homes on their televisions, phones, tablets, and computers.
The highest-scoring Thursday Night Football game took place during the 2023 season when the Las Vegas Raiders scored 63 points, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21. There have been other games that have approached that total, but that Week 15 matchup from last season remains the highest-scoring TNF game ever.
Author
Marcus Mosher covers the NFL, NFL Draft and NFL news for BetMichigan.com. The host of the Locked On Cowboys podcast, Marcus also has been the managing editor of The Raiders Wire and contributor to The Athletic DFW, Pro Football Weekly, FanSided and FanRag Sports.
