I love Thursday football but think Friday nite would be much more appropriate. I guess Fridays are low viewing days ($$$$) and more of a party day, but my group has never had a problem with partying while watching football. Roger keeps harping about player safety, but I don't see Thursday games contributing to that end. I'm sure if polled, the players would agree that even one more day would be hugely beneficial to their recovery.
To the topic: I think the advantage lies solely with the home team regardless (with a few exceptions) of player age. The older guys probably hurt more and for longer, but they are also more likely to better understand their ailments and can draw from experience on how best to deal with pain. Our rookies are healthy (thank you baby Jesus) but as we start nearing the midway part of the season, these extra hard knocks and extended schedule (for them) will likely start taking it's toll. So I think it works both ways; young vs not-so-young.