Potential blowouts on annual menu for Thanksgiving

After breakfast with Brett Favre, two games that could be blowouts are on the NFL's menu for Thanksgiving.

The three-game lineup has flash with Green Bay, Dallas and Indianapolis in action. So with Favre, Tony Romo and Peyton Manning throwing passes, excitement will be generated. Even if all the games are not close, the point-spread decisions should be interesting.

The Packers are 3-point favorites at Detroit in today's first game, though the line is up to 31/2 at some books.

In the afternoon game, the Cowboys are 14-point home favorites over the New York Jets, and the Colts are 12-point road favorites over Atlanta in the late game.

Bettors who prefer to parlay favorites will be laying big numbers.

"At first glance, we were a little concerned about the games on Thanksgiving when you have three of the four most popular teams in the league playing," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said. "But anyone who wants to bet these favorites is paying the price, with the exception of the Packers. There are no bargains out there."

Green Bay, 9-1 straight up and 8-1-1 against the spread, is on a roll as Favre continues to look nothing like a quarterback on the brink of retirement. Detroit has cooled off, losing two in a row.

The Packers swept the series last year.

"In years past, the Lions were not competitive, and the public bet against them," Kornegay said. "But the Lions are a bettable team now, and it's showing at the betting windows, where we're getting balanced action."

The Jets, who upset Pittsburgh last week, have one of the league's worst defenses and should struggle to slow Dallas' offense as Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens continue to burn defensive backs.

Dallas, 9-1 straight up and 7-3 against the spread, defeated Washington 28-23 last week but failed to cover as a double-digit home favorite.

The Gold Sheet editor Bruce Marshall said his best bet today is Indianapolis-Atlanta under the total of 41. The Colts, off a lackluster 13-10 win over Kansas City, are 10-4 under the total in their past 14 games.

"I'm not comfortable laying all those points with the Colts, but I am comfortable with it under the total," said Marshall (goldsheet.com). "The Colts offense is not going to work as well without (wideout) Marvin Harrison, and Manning's numbers are coming down, and he's throwing a lot of short passes. I can see Adam Vinatieri kicking some field goals, and it will be sort of a methodical game."

The Falcons, held to seven points in a loss to Tampa Bay last week, are starting Joey Harrington at quarterback.

"Indianapolis' defense is solid, and the Falcons are in trouble with Harrington," Marshall said.

• R-J CHALLENGE -- Three of 10 competitors in the Review-Journal NFL Challenge, which is published Sundays, are playing games today based on the Hilton SuperContest lines.

R-J sports editor Joe Hawk is siding with the Packers (-31/2) and Cowboys (-14), and the R-J's Ed Graney is on the Falcons (+12). Handicapper Joseph D'Amico (allamericansports.info) also is picking the Packers.