Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys Prediction, Preview, & Odds – 10/13/2024

The game of the week in the NFL in Week 6 might just be the game between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. Both teams are above .500 on the season, with the Lions entering as three-point road favorites. The total for this matchup has been set at 52.5 points. Here, we break down this massive Lions vs Cowboys contest with NFC playoff implications and give you our NFL betting picks for Sunday afternoon’s showdown.

Lions Hit the Road After Bye Week

The Detroit Lions had their bye week in Week 5 of the NFL season. Before that, they won two straight games to improve to 3-1 on the season. Detroit’s offense found its groove in its last game, a 42-29 win on Monday Night Football over the Seattle Seahawks. Here, the Lions will look to continue to trend in the right direction on offense against a Dallas team that is banged up on the defensive side of the ball.

Defense will be the major question mark for the Lions going into this Lions vs Cowboys matchup. Aidan Hutchinson has been one of the best sack producers in football early in the year and should be able to penetrate a Cowboys offensive line that is dealing with several key injuries. But after giving up 29 points at home to the Seahawks last time out, the Lions need to be better on the back end, especially with CeeDee Lamb waiting for them.

Cowboys Back Home After Two Narrow Escapes

The Dallas Cowboys have won two straight road games coming into this matchup with the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Those wins were by five points against the New York Giants and by three points over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a dramatic Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 5. This week, Dallas is back home, where they are 0-2 on the season so far and will be looking for their first home win of the year.

To get that win, the Cowboys need to continue finding success on the ground. Dallas finally appeared to turn a corner with its running game against the Steelers in their last game, rushing for over 100 yards as a team and getting over 4.0 yards per carry from Rico Dowdle. If they can continue opening rushing lanes for Dowdle despite their o-line injuries, the Cowboys could win as a home dog here.

Lions vs Cowboys Matchup History

Dallas and Detroit have played 31 times in their history, in a rivalry that has been largely one-sided. The Cowboys are 19-12 all-time against the Lions, with Dallas winning six straight games against Detroit dating back to the playoffs in 2015. Detroit is favored to break their losing streak against the Cowboys this weekend, though.

Lions vs Cowboys Betting Pick

Our top pick for Lions vs Cowboys on Sunday is for the Detroit Lions to get a win on the road and to cover the spread in the process. Without Micah Parsons to make life miserable for the Detroit offense, Jared Goff should be able to find clean looks in the passing game, while the physicality of Detroit allows them to run it effectively almost every week. We will lay the field goal with Detroit in this marquee matchup.