Picking the NFL Thanksgiving Games Against the Spread

It's Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean all you degenerate gamblers need to take a holiday.

In fact, all that excess food in your system should inspire you to blow even more money than usual. It has something to do with tryptophan, I'm pretty sure. 

Anyway, enclosed in this slideshow are the picks against the spread for today's slate of games. You have Green Bay-Detroit, Miami-Dallas and San Francisco-Baltimore. For once, the Thanksgiving football games look actually somewhat decent—a nice deviation from the past.  

All lines are taken from Zerkle's picks column. 

Packers (-6) vs. Lions

This game interests the hell out of me, mainly because it is the first time in my life where the Lions will not go into the Thanksgiving game as a scrawny 135-pound man fighting a bodybuilder.

It's weird for me, and I almost do not know how to properly handle this game without wondering if Peyton Manning will come out of nowhere and throw six touchdowns. 

The Lions are having a phenomenal season, one that most experts seemed to think would not come until next year at the earliest.

Matthew Stafford has been able to avoid crippling injury, and their offense is widely regarded as one of the best in the NFL.

Ndamukong Suh has let it be known to the world that he may be the best defensive lineman in football, and the Lions defense is almost ready for the future.

All that said, I feel like this is the game where the wheel falls off and the engine explodes. I'm sorry, Lions fans, it's just something I've seen too many times. If the Packers do not win this game by two or more touchdowns, I'll be surprised.

I want the Lions to do well—I really do. I like watching them. But it's just not their time yet.

Pick: Packers -6

Dolphins (+7) vs. Cowboys

Speaking of watching the wheels fall off, is there anyone who thinks that the Dolphins can maintain the level of dominance they've played with in the past three weeks? Wins of 28, 11 and 27.

Something tells me that this is the week Matt Moore remembers he kind of sucks and crashes down in a fiery blaze to Earth. 

Probably the worst game of the three, it is deftly placed into the time slot (4:15 PM EST), where most families are begging to stuff their faces and preparing for a 12-hour hibernation (or 12-hour car ride, depending on who you are).

Pick: Dallas -7

49ers (+3) vs. Ravens

I'm not looking forward to the legions of 49ers fans telling me I am wrong, but I think that this week will be an aberration in what will be an otherwise fantastic season.

The Ravens, who more so than any other team can be accused of playing down to their opponent's level, are going to be hungry.

They have lost their last three games against teams that can be accused of being "bad."

This is their bounce-back week, and the week where maybe Alex Smith starts looking human again.

I'm not saying that will continue for the duration of the season, but if any team can make Smith look like the bumbling idiot of old, it's the Ravens.

Pick: Ravens -3

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.