Thursday night football has been a staple of the NFL since 2006, and it consistently draws in viewers because of the primetime spotlight. I’m always doing a double take when I tune into a Thursday night game and find out which team is favored, and it’s not uncommon to see the home team garnering extra attention. It begs the question: do Thursday night NFL games favor the home team?
My gut feeling about it is that the home team has the upper hand in Thursday night games. This could be due to an innate psychological bias, like when a fan straps on their team’s colors and cheers from the sidelines. The crowd’s energy has a way of spurring the home team to perform better; it’s almost like creating a sixth-man on the field for them. Even though players, coaches, and referees are supposed to remain impartial, they tend to get sucked into the atmosphere and feed off the crowd’s support.
It’s also possible that the home team has an advantage due to the known layout of the stadium. For instance, if the home team is able to practice on the same field and turf, they have a better familiarity with it and can strategically plan plays and formations to their benefit. Moreover, the home team is accustomed to the climate, which is also an advantage when it comes to making playcalling decisions.
I’m also thinking that the home team might be a little bit more prepared for a Thursday night game. Since they don’t have to travel, they can use that extra time to practice and study game films of the other team. This would give them a leg up in making tactical decisions on game night. Moreover, the home team is likely to have a larger crowd of supporters, which could give the team a boost and the extra motivation they need to win.
In my opinion, all these factors merge together to give the home team an edge in Thursday night games. It could be a slight edge, but it’s enough to give them an advantage when the lights come on and the crowds start cheering. It’s hard to measure exactly how much of an impact it has on the game’s outcome, but it’s clear that the home team benefits in some way from playing on their own turf.