Best TNF Bets Week 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
Thursday Night Football is usually a mixed bag. These short-week games often mean sloppy games. Worse, it seems NFL schedule-makers purposely slot bad teams into the Thursday matchup. But on the other hand, it’s an extra night to make money betting on the NFL. With only one game per week, it allows bettors to hone in their focus rather than spread themselves too thin on Sundays.
To help you maximize your Thursday Night Football bets, we’ve compiled this guide. It covers the major how-to’s of football betting on this primetime matchup plus our very own expert tips. There is a lot to cover so let’s get right into it.
Best TNF Bets Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) will face the Cleveland Browns (5-5) on Nov. 23 at Acrisure Stadium in a Thursday Night Football matchup. The game, set for an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff on Prime Video, comes as both teams aim to solidify their playoff hopes in a pivotal AFC North clash.
The Steelers are coming off a dramatic 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens, fueled by opportunistic defense and late-game resilience. However, Pittsburgh has historically struggled as favorites under head coach Mike Tomlin, particularly when favored by more than four points.
The Browns, meanwhile, fell flat in a 27-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints, plagued by missed field goals and offensive miscues. Cleveland will look to bounce back and prove they remain a threat in the AFC playoff race.
NFL Pick to cover the spread: Despite their recent win, the Steelers’ struggles as favorites make this a prime spot for the Browns to cover. If Cleveland’s defense can force turnovers and their offense avoids mistakes, they have a solid chance to pull off the upset.
TNF Betting Odds
Thursday Night Football Schedule
Thursday Night Football is very much a “prime time game.” Say what you want about its game quality, but playing on prime time — old TV term for peak viewing hours between 8 and 11 pm EST — still has huge significance. The matchup draws the nation’s eyes in the same manner that Monday Night Football or Sunday Night Football do.
Thursday Night Football happens from Week 2 to Week 17. The only weeks that don’t feature TNF are Week 1 and Week 18. One week even includes the nightcap of Thanksgiving, which means way more eyeballs than usual.
In 2023, the NFL passed a new rule that allows Thursday Night Football games to be “flexed.” For those unfamiliar, flexing means the league can change who’s playing. Usually, this is done to feature a more interesting matchup with implications. Flex scheduling can be used only from Week 13 to Week 17, nothing else.
Obviously, because swapping a Thursday game for Sunday presents huge scheduling conflicts — for the teams and fans attending — the league has to make these changes 28 days in advance. That 28-day rule is specific to TNF, and not the others. So far, nothing has been flexed. This is more common for Sunday Night Football but inevitably it’ll happen on Thursday eventually.
How to bet Thursday Night Football like a sharp?
NFL betting, whether it’s on Thursdays, Sundays, or Mondays, is all pretty much the same thing. Allow us to explain a few of the bet tips you’ll find handy when betting games on TNF:
Do Your Research
But here’s the thing: it takes research to uncover information to use in betting. As a bettor, you should be evaluating Thursday matchups in-depth. What are potential X-factors in the game? If you notice a team is struggling to defend the run gets matched up with the NFL leader in rushing — that’s a game-breaking mismatch. It might be worth taking bets on rushing yards, which you’d find in the prop market.
Expect The Unexpected
The one thing we’ll say is very specific to Thursday Night Football betting is this: expect the unexpected. Since teams typically only have three days off before playing this game, the usual preparation gets thrown out the window. Coaches, players, and even bettors don’t have the usual amount of time to “scout” their opponent.
Check The Stats
What results out of that is usually sloppiness or downright mistakes — turnovers, penalties, missed assignments, etc. Sometimes that leads to an outpouring of points or just a lack of it. Both ends of the spectrum are on the table with TNF.
How To Watch Thursday Night Football?
All the best bets for Thursday Night Football can be had at one of the online sportsbooks listed below. Moneyline, over/under, props, and spreads — it’s all there for the taking for every single TNF matchup. Heck, prop bets Thursday Night Football are especially large, which can create hundreds of unique betting opportunities. You can see what’s available for this week’s game by visiting one of the bookies below.
One thing that really stands out about the sites above is their app football betting experiences. You can easily gamble on the go on these apps, which is especially handy for TNF because you might not be at home like you would on a Sunday. Prime video will host the games for the 2024/25 TNF.
1 | Date | Matchup |
2 | September 12 | Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins |
3 | September 19 | New England Patriots @ New York Jets |
4 | September 26 | Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants |
5 | October 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons |
6 | October 10 | San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks |
7 | October 17 | Denver Broncos @ New Orleans Saints |
8 | October 24 | Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams |
9 | October 31 | Houston Texans @ New York Jets |
10 | November 7 | Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens |
11 | November 14 | Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles |
12 | November 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns |
13 | November 29 | Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs |
14 | December 5 | Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions |
15 | December 12 | Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers |
16 | December 19 | Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals |
17 | December 26 | Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears |
Which team has the most TNF wins all-time?
Team | Wins |
Detriot Lions | 43 |
Dallas Cowboys | 41 |
Chicago Bears | 30 |
Green Bay Packers | 25 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 19 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 17 |
New England Patriots | 16 |
Indiana Colts | 16 |
New York Giants | 16 |
Minnesota Vikings | 15 |
Denver Broncos | 14 |
San Francisco 49ers | 14 |