Teams battling for a playoff spot meet when the Dallas Cowboys face the Detroit Lions in a key NFC matchup on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Dallas is coming off a 31-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, while Detroit dropped a 31-24 decision to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys (6-5-1), who have won three in a row, are just 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for the NFC East lead. The Lions (7-5), who have lost three of five, have fallen two games behind Chicago in the NFC North. Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) did not practice Monday.
Kickoff from Ford Field in Detroit is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 19-13, but the Lions won last year’s meeting 47-9. The Lions are 3-point favorites in the latest Cowboys vs. Lions odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 54.5 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Cowboys vs. Lions picks, check out the NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
Why the Lions can cover
Veteran quarterback Jared Goff helps power the Detroit offense. In 12 games this season, he has completed 69.8% of his passes for 3,025 yards and 25 touchdowns with five interceptions and a 110.2 rating. In last week’s loss to the Packers, he completed 20 of 26 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried once for 24 yards.
Another weapon on offense is running back Jahmyr Gibbs. In 12 games, he has carried 175 times for 1,019 yards (5.8 average) and 10 touchdowns. He has had 10 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a long of 78, with 46 first-down conversions.
Why the Cowboys can cover
Ten-year veteran quarterback Dak Prescott leads the Dallas offense. In 12 starts, he has completed 69.3% of his passes for 3,261 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions and a 102.4 rating. He has also rushed 41 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
His top target is fourth-year veteran wide receiver George Pickens. In 12 games, he has 73 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.
How to make Cowboys vs. Lions picks
SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total, projecting 55 combined points. It also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
