ProFootballDoc: Thanksgiving Edition of Injury Advantages

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope everyone enjoys a great family holiday, and hopefully the info below makes us all more thankful.

The Bucs were an easy winner and cover based on our health analysis, but it doesn't count toward our 29-25-1 overall record. The five picks are for Sunday games and not one-off contests. Given that there are three games this Turkey Day, there are two games with clear health advantages that we will take.

The hidden health advantages is what the SIC score and Field View at www.profootballdoc.com are all about.

SIC Score is our proprietary numerical injury grading system that incorporates the health of every NFL team and individual players to give sports bettors, DFS players and fantasy owners an edge each week during the season. While it purposely doesn’t take into account coaching, schemes or matchups, SIC Scores give an accurate assessment of team/player overall health heading into a game.

CHICAGO -3 @ DETROIT

The Bears have their issues with rumors of Matt Nagy being fired, but here we concern ourselves with health mismatches. Chicago is offensively and defensively the healthier side by SIC scores with a 10+ point advantage overall and on each side of the ball. Yes, the Lions likely have their starting QB, but we are not convinced he is 100%. Chicago has Andy Dalton stepping in and is poised to take advantage. This makes the Bears one of our five this week, given the multiple games on Thanksgiving.

LAS VEGAS +7.5 @ DALLAS

Dallas is favored, but the Raiders hold the slight health advantage. Amari Cooper is out for sure, and Cee Dee Lamb may be out as well. The Cowboys defense is still hampered. The team SIC scores are relatively close, so this game is not a clear call, but use the information to make your best judgment.

BUFFALO -6.5 @ NEW ORLEANS

Last week, the Saints carried the lowest SIC score of the season for any team offense. This week, that number drops even lower with the loss of TE Adam Trautman. Six offensive starters are missing, including all the top playmakers from Alvin Kamara to Jameis Winston (and Michael Thomas) as well as multiple offensive linemen as they face a Bills defense that has all 11 starters active. The Saints are fairly healthy defensively. There is a 20+ SIC score differential that makes the Bills one of our "picks," but we also lean towards a possible under 45.

Enjoy the three games and use the injury analysis for your wagering/DFS/fantasy decisions. As the FanDuel Official Injury Expert, we hope to provide you winning information.