In 2019, "Thursday Night Football" generally features intriguing matchups, even if the quality of play takes a dip as a result of a short week for the participating teams. That's part of the reason the NFL can continue to get away with forcing teams to play a few days early each week. As long as fans care to scan their TV channels for "Thursday Night Football," the league will give the people what they want.
This week on "Thursday Night Football," the Bears will host the Cowboys in a game scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network. Based on the relatively small point spread attached to this game, Chicago vs. Dallas is expected to be tight. The 6-6 Cowboys are 2 1/2-point road favorites over the 6-6 Bears.
MORE: Watch Cowboys vs. Bears live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Thursday night's game will have a relatively significant impact on the NFL playoff picture. While a loss to the Cowboys technically would not eliminate the Bears, it would all but end their chances of earning a wild-card spot in the NFC. Either the 49ers or the Seahawks, both 10-2 heading into Week 14, will take one wild-card spot. Unless the 8-4 Vikings free-fall over the next few weeks, they likely will earn the second.
The Cowboys, of course, amazingly still lead the NFC East and are slotted in the No. 4 seed for the playoffs. They need to beat the Bears in Week 14, though, in order to maintain their one-game edge over the Eagles, who host the hapless Giants on Monday night.
Below is all the info you need to watch "Thursday Night Football" this week, including the TV channel and kickoff time for Cowboys vs. Bears.
Who plays on Thursday Night Football tonight?
- Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears
- Kickoff time: 8:20 p.m. ET
In both our picks against the spread and our straight-up NFL predictions for Week 14, Sporting News is projecting a Cowboys win over the Bears on Thursday night. Below are the explanations.
Pick against the spread: The Cowboys and Bears each played on Thanksgiving last week with different results, as the former was upset at home and the latter rallied to win on the road. Chicago and Dallas' defenses aren't as daunting as expected, so it comes down to which quarterback you can trust to make some big plays off the better success in the running game. That's easily Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. The desperate Cowboys will dig deep for a much-needed road win against an opponent with the same (6-6) record. Pick: Cowboys win 23-20 and cover the spread.
Straight-up prediction: Most assumed this would be a matchup of Thanksgiving Day winners, but only the Bears took care of their business last week. The Cowboys' loss to the Bills has them back down at .500 with the same 6-6 record as that of Chicago. Yet because the Bears are all but out of the NFC North race and the Cowboys amazingly still lead the NFC East, the home team has more to lose in Week 14. That will lead to an inspired effort from Matt Nagy's bunch, but on a frigid Chicago night, Dallas will benefit from a more effective rushing attack and more efficient quarterback play. Pick: Cowboys 24, Bears 20.
MORE: Full betting preview for Cowboys vs. Bears
What channel is Thursday Night Football on?
- TV channel (national): NFL Network, Fox
- TV channel (Dallas): KDFW
- TV channel (Chicago): WFLD
- Live stream: fuboTV
"Thursday Night Football" broadcast rights in 2019 are shared between Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime.
Thursday night games on Fox this season are called by the network's lead broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink, and rules analyst Mike Pereira.
Andrea Kramer and Hannah Storm are the voices for Amazon Prime's broadcasts.
WEEK 14 NFL PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread
Thursday Night Football TV schedule for 2019
All "Thursday Night Football" games start at 8:20 p.m. ET.
| Week | Date | Matchup | TV channels |
| 4 | Sept. 26 | Eagles at Packers | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 5 | Oct. 3 | Rams at Seahawks | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | Giants at Patriots | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | Chiefs at Broncos | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Redskins at Vikings | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | 49ers at Cardinals | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Chargers at Raiders | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | Steelers at Browns | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | Colts at Texans | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | Cowboys at Bears | Fox, NFLN, Prime |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | Jets at Ravens | Fox, NFLN, Prime |