Each week, TheLines will provide a betting breakdown and analysis for the upcoming Thursday Night Football game. We’ll look at the odds and see why they’re moving a certain way, along with breaking down the matchup and providing the week’s best prop bets. The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs will do battle in the first game of the NFL season, on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET. We we will look at TNF betting odds for this game including the spread, moneyline, total and much more.
TNF betting odds
Detroit Lions () at Kansas City Chiefs ()
The first game of the NFL season will once again take place on a Thursday night. This year’s league opener will pit the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs up against the Detroit Lions. The Chiefs opened as a -7 favorite over the Lions and the game had an initial total of 53.5 points.
Thursday Night Football prop search tool
Looking to bet on props for Thursday Night Football? Use our prop search tool to find the best odds across legal sportsbooks in the US.
Chiefs vs. Lions betting news
The Lions are signing running back David Montgomery to a three-year contract worth $18 million, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
The signing likely means the Lions will move on from their running back, Jamaal Williams. The former Bears lead back had his best season in 2020 when he posted 1,070 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry, plus 54 receptions for 438 yards and another two touchdowns.
Harrison Butker's game-winning field goal and Patrick Mahomes' three touchdown passes lift the Chiefs (+1.5) over the Eagles, 38-35, to win Super Bowl 57. Mahomes wins his second Super Bowl in his third attempt.
- Chiefs +1.5
- Over 51.5
- Mahomes Over 2.5 passing TDs
- Isiah Pacheco Over 47.5 rush yards
Harrison Butker's 27-yard FG gives the Chiefs a 38-35 lead with under 10 seconds left in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 57 comes down to a desperation attempt.
Only three times ever has the Super Bowl been decided by a game-winning field goal. Tied at 35 with 90 seconds left, the game appears to be setting up for a walk-off Harrison Butker field goal.
- Super Bowl V
- Super Bowl XXXVI
- Super Bowl XXXVIII
A critical defensive holding penalty by the Eagles gives the Chiefs a brand new set of downs inside the Red Zone. Tied at 35, the Eagles have just one timeout remaining. KC is -3000 moneyline to win the game.
Time's winding down in Super Bowl 57 and Patrick Mahomes– on a high ankle sprain– picked up 26 yards for a huge first down. The Chiefs are inside the Eagles' Red Zone tied at 35. Chiefs are -3.5 (-115) and this game is setting up to be the highest-scoring Super Bowl in history.
- Mahomes over 19.5 rushing yards (-115)
Live odds:
Patrick Mahomes finds Skyy Moore for a TD. The Chiefs take a 35-27 lead in the fourth quarter.
- Moore anytime TD +800
- Mahomes Over 2.5 passing TDs (+170)
Patrick Mahomes finds Kadarius Toney for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter! Despite the one-point lead, the Chiefs remain +1.5 (-140) at DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Toney anytime TD +260
- Over 51.5 points (-110)
- Chiefs Over 24.5 team points (-110)
The Chiefs are 13-0 straight up when scoring more than 24 points this season.
The Chiefs have the ball with a fresh set of downs trailing the Eagles 27-21 heading into the fourth quarter. The Chiefs closed the quarter out at +2.5 (-105) and +155 moneyline.
Jalen Hurts scrambled for a loss of one– a technical sack– which was awarded to the Chiefs' Khalen Saunders, who pushed him out of bounds. Saunders was listed at +3500 to record the game's first sack.
Chiefs vs. Lions game matchup
The Lions had the second best NFL record against the spread during the regular season last year at 12-5-0. Kansas City was 8-11-1 ATS last season.
Best Thursday Night Football betting sites
Here are the best TNF betting odds sites. Each sportsbook has a variety of props for Thursday Night Football.
How to watch Thursday Night Football
The Thursday Night Football schedule is the most complex of the primetime NFL spots.
The first Thursday season opener doesn’t fall under the TNF title. Lions versus Chiefs will be broadcast on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET. And, the three-game Thanksgiving slate is carried by three different networks.
The rest of the NFL Thursday night schedule will be broadcast nationally on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will have the call starting in Week 2 with the Vikings versus the Eagles. Each Thursday night game will begin at 8:20 p.m. Eastern, regardless of the network.
Thursday Night Football betting tips
How to bet TNF like a sharp
Thursday Night Football condenses the practice week for coaches, decreases recovery time for players and limits opportunities for media members to uncover stories and create narratives. This unpredictability factor can help to level the sports-betting playing field.
Taking the most rested team is never a bad idea. You want the healthiest squad with the longest amount of preparation time since its last game.
Siding with the home team in what would otherwise be a pick’em doesn’t hurt, either. You want the team that’s spent the longest amount of time preparing in the proper city, not wasting what can be the better of a day traveling.
You want the healthiest side, as simple as that. Without a proper injury report, it can be tough to tell what level of health players will be at when gearing up to play in a big primetime spot. Don’t expect a player who left a game Sunday to return in elite form by Thursday. He’ll more than likely be a decoy.
Don’t fall into the public opinion trap of TNF always being a lousy game. It’s still one of only 17 games those two teams will play all year and most of them generally need to win. Coaches will do the best with what they have, and plenty of players have burst onto the scene with strong games while filling in for an injured starter.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Thursday Night Football start?
The true 2023 Thursday Night Football slate will start with the Vikings taking on the Eagles in Philadelphia. This game will be played on Sept. 14.
How to stream Thursday Night Football
TNF can be streamed live on Amazon Prime.
What is the highest-scoring Thursday Night Football game ever?
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 41-39 in Week 3 of the 2017 campaign in the highest-scoring TNF game of all time.
Who are the TNF announcers?
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will call TNF for the second straight year. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who moved from FOX to ESPN, previously had the call.
Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer made history in 2018 as the first all-woman NFL broadcast team as an alternate stream for Amazon Prime viewers.
Who was the original Thursday Night Football broadcast crew?
The original TNF broadcast crew for NFL Network in 2006 was Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth.
Retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo memorably joined Jim Nantz for CBS’ final year of TNF coverage in 2017.
Who sings the Thursday Night Football theme song?
Amazon is expected to again air its own instrumental theme to begin the coverage, unlike the SNF and MNF primetime spots.