Cowboys vs. Lions Predictions & Best Bets for Thursday Night Football

NFL Week 14 kicks off tonight when the Detroit Lions (7-5) host the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) from Ford Field in Detroit. We've compiled our Cowboys vs. Lions predictions and best bets for this TNF matchup as part of our NFL Week 14 predictions.

Cowboys vs. Lions predictions & best bets: Thursday Night Football

See all of our NFL picks for every game based on the latest NFL odds.

Cowboys vs. Lions prediction

Our NFL expert Gary Pearson is buying the improvements he's seen on the defensive side of the ball for the Cowboys, who have won three straight since the NFL trade deadline to resuscitate their playoff hopes this season. That can't be said for the Lions, who have lost three of their last five contests entering Thursday Night Football.

Here's an excerpt from his Cowboys vs. Lions prediction on why he's betting on the Cowboys to cover the spread and win outright tonight at Ford Field:

"The Cowboys' defensive improvements since Quinnen Williams' arrival and safety Donovan Wilson's return to the lineup have been precipitous. In the last three games, Matt Eberflus' unit has allowed 0.6 yards fewer per play, tied for the third-largest decrease. It is also substantially more effective in pivotal moments, decreasing the opponent's third-down conversion rate by more than 13% in the same three-game sample size."

On the other side, our Cowboys vs. Lions AI picks expect Detroit to bounce back tonight behind a strong game from their star running back, who is featured in our Jahmyr Gibbs player props for Thursday Night Football.

Cowboys vs. Lions player props

Our NFL expert Matt Jacobs dove into the player props market to find the best prop bets for Thursday Night Football, and he's targeting Jared Goff to have a strong showing tonight against a suspect Cowboys pass defense in a must-win game for Detroit.

Here's an excerpt from his Cowboys vs. Lions player props on why he's betting on Goff to throw for at least 253 yards tonight as his best prop bet for Thursday Night Football:

"Jared Goff’s passing yardage totals in his last five games: 284 (vs. Minnesota), 320 (at Washington), 255 (at Philadelphia), 279 (vs. the Giants) and 256 (vs. Green Bay). Bettors who wagered on the Lions’ quarterback to beat his passing yards projection in those five games? They went 5-for-5."

Our NFL expert Dustin Saracini is breaking down the other passing attack tonight as he offers his best value plays for Dallas' offense with his Dak Prescott player props.

Cowboys vs. Lions anytime TD pick

Our NFL expert Esten McLaren is back with his anytime TD picks for Thursday Night Football, and he's offering three bets at plus-money odds - including one at +1600 odds to score a touchdown tonight at Ford Field.

Here's an excerpt from his anytime touchdown scorer predictions on why he's backing Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa to score a touchdown tonight as his best TD pick:

"Isaac TeSlaa, a rookie third-round pick from the 2025 draft, has just six receptions (11 targets) on the season, but he's scored three touchdowns, including one on Thanksgiving. He caught both of his targets for 35 yards against the Packers while playing 92% of the offensive snaps. That expanded playing time came with tight end Sam LaPorta already sidelined and Amon-Ra St. Brown - the Lions leader in nearly every receiving stat, including 20 red-zone targets - leaving the game early due to injury."

You can follow all of our NFL touchdown props for the biggest games every week.  

Cowboys vs. Lions first TD pick

Our NFL expert Sean Tomlinson has scoured the first touchdown market to find the best bets to score the opening TD on Thursday Night Football, and he's locked in on three players with odds ranging from +800 to +2700 to open the scoring tonight.

Here's an excerpt from his first touchdown scorer predictions on why Jameson Williams is the best bet to score the first touchdown on Thursday Night Football:

"Amon-Ra St. Brown is listed as questionable for the Lions heading into Thursday night, though he seems very much on the pessimistic side of that tag after not practicing this week due to an ankle injury. That leads to a dynamite-infused opportunity for Williams, who was already rising up swiftly while in St. Brown's shadow. The speed merchant has scored five times across his last seven games, a run that includes 119 receiving yards in Week 10, and erupting for a career single-game high 144 yards last week."

Cowboys vs. Lions same-game parlay

Our NFL expert Brenden Schaeffer is looking for the big payday tonight with his Cowboys vs. Lions SGP, which pays out at +700 if all three legs hit on Thursday Night Football.

Here's an excerpt from his Cowboys vs. Lions same-game parlay on why he's expecting CeeDee Lamb to score in a Cowboys win as road underdogs:

"CeeDee Lamb played arguably his best game of the season on Thanksgiving while torching the Chiefs for 112 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions and drawing several key defensive pass interference flags during the Cowboys' win. Lamb has scored in three of six games since returning from injury, and he now faces a Detroit defense that's allowed 19 receiving touchdowns to wide receivers (second-most leaguewide). Lamb’s success correlates with our prediction of a Cowboys win, with both legs at plus-money odds to boost our SGP."

You can follow all of our NFL same-game parlay bets for the biggest games every week.

Thursday Night Football expert picks

• Cowboys vs. Lions prediction
• Cowboys vs. Lions player props
• Cowboys vs. Lions anytime touchdown scorer predictions
• Cowboys vs. Lions first touchdown scorer predictions
• Cowboys vs. Lions same-game parlay
• Dak Prescott player prop bets
• Jahmyr Gibbs player prop bets
• Cowboys vs. Lions AI predictions

How to watch Thursday Night Football: Cowboys vs. Lions

• Date: Thursday, Dec. 4
• Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Ford Field (Detroit)
• TV: Prime Video