Each week, the NFL betting experts at TheLines will deliver a betting breakdown and analysis for the upcoming Thursday Night Football game during the NFL season. We will look at the TNF odds and analyze why they are moving a certain way, along with breaking down the matchup and providing the week’s best prop bets. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders will do battle at FedEx Field on Thursday, October 5 at 8:15 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
Here is a look at Thursday Night Football odds with the Bears set to play the Commanders.
Chicago Bears (+5.5) at Washington Commanders (-5.5)
The Bears have looked like one of the worst teams in football through the first few weeks of the season. Washington hasn’t looked much better. Still, the Commanders opened as a -5.5 favorite.
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.
Bears Vs. Commanders game matchup
The Commanders are 1-2 this season against the spread. Chicago is 0-3 ATS.
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 was 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 will again air its own instrumental theme to begin the coverage, unlike the SNF and MNF primetime spots.