by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2025
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Thursday, December 4, 2025
Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Cowboys +3, Lions -3; Over/Under: 53.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Cowboys +3, Lions -3; Over/Under: 54 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Cowboys +3, Lions -3; Over/Under: 54 points
Season Record
Dallas Cowboys: 6-5-1 (2nd place, NFC East)
Detroit Lions: 7-5 (3rd place, NFC North)
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Recent Form
Dallas Cowboys: won their last game at home against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28.
Detroit Lions: lost their last game at home against the Green Bay Packers 31-24.
Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions Preview and Analysis
The Cowboys are entering this game with a 6-5-1 record overall and they have a 3-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-1-1 in their home games, 2-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. Dak Prescott was the starting QB and he completed 27/39 passes for 320 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Javonte Williams led the team in rushing yards with 59. CeeDee Lamb led the receivers with 112 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Jadeveon Clowney led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Jadeveon Clowney led the defense in sacks with 2. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
The Lions are entering this game with a 7-5 record overall and they have a 1-3 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 3-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the Green Bay Packers 31-24. Jared Goff was the starting QB and he completed 20/26 passes for 256 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jahmyr Gibbs led the team in rushing yards with 68. Jameson Williams led the receivers with 144 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Brian Branch led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Cowboys vs Lions Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lions listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Lions have looked good in their games this season with their 7-5 record overall, but that record has them right near the bottom of the NFC North in a competitive division. They have looked good on their home field this year with their 4-2 home record. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have looked good in their games this season with their 6-5-1 record overall which has them right near the top of the NFC East. They haven't been a good road team though with their 2-4 road record this season. The Cowboys have been rolling in their games lately with 3 wins in a row now and they are off a win over the Chiefs on Thanksgiving which really gave them a boost in the playoff race. They have pulled themselves back into the race with their defense looking better and their offense still being one of the best in the NFL. Their defense still hasn't looked like a top defense in the NFL though and the Lions still have a really good offense that can put up a ton of points. The Lions haven't looked great lately and they are off a 31-24 loss at home to the Packers in their last one, but they will be looking to bounce back at home after losing to a division rival on Thanksgiving, and the Lions are going to have more urgency since their playoff chances are starting to slip away. The Lions are in desperate need of a get right win and this is a good situation for them at home against a Cowboys team that has looked good lately, but has still been really up and down all year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lions to cover the spread in this game.
Cowboys Lions Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Thursday, December 4, 2025 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Lions 35 Cowboys 31.
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NFL Betting Trends
Dallas Cowboys: 1-4 ATS against NFC North division opponents. 4-8 ATS in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5. 4-9 ATS off a home win. 28-18 OVER in all games. 9-5 OVER as a road underdog. 7-0 OVER off an upset win as an underdog.
Detroit Lions: 32-18 ATS in all games. 10-5 ATS as a home favorite of 7 points or less. 6-0 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 30-19 OVER in all games. 17-9 OVER as a home favorite. 16-8 OVER in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 45.5.
Key Injuries
Dallas Cowboys: D. Fowler Jr. (DL) Injured - Shoulder. J. Clowney (DL) Injured - Hamstring. M. Hooker (S) Injured - Back. T. Diggs (CB) Injured - Knee. J. Houston (DL) Injured - Foot. H. Adeniji (OT) Injured - Knee. K. Turpin (WR) Injured - Shoulder. D. Wilson (S) Injured - Neck. O. Odighizuwa (DL) Injured - Elbow. G. Pickens (WR) Injured - Calf. D. Bland (CB) Injured - Foot. C. Carson (CB) Injured - Hamstring. T. Guyton (OT) Injured - Ankle.
Detroit Lions: A. St. Brown (WR) Injured - Ankle. S. Zylstra (TE) Injured - Knee. K. Raymond (WR) Injured - Ankle. T. Decker (OT) Injured - Shoulder. G. Glasgow (OG) Injured - Knee. B. Wright (TE) Injured - Neck. K. Joseph (S) Injured - Knee. B. Branch (CB) Injured - Toe. T. Arnold (CB) Injured - Shoulder. S. Vaki (RB) Injured - Thumb.
Notable Quotes
“On top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we’re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams. I mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year’s last year, but you’re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games. On top of everything that we've been through.” - Dak Prescott after their win against the Chiefs in their last game.
“We’ve dug ourselves a hole.” - Dan Campbell after his team’s loss against the Packers in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Dallas Cowboys
WR Pickens, George
WR Lamb, CeeDee
WR Flournoy, Ryan
TE Ferguson, Jake
QB Prescott, Dak
RB Williams, Javonte
FB Luepke, Hunter
Detroit Lions
WR TeSlaa, Isaac
WR Williams, Jameson
WR Kennedy, Tom
TE Dwelley, Ross
QB Goff, Jared
RB Gibbs, Jahmyr
Statistical Leaders
Dallas Cowboys
Passing: Dak Prescott (3,261)
Rushing: Javonte Williams (955)
Receiving: George Pickens (1,142)
Touchdowns: Javonte Williams (10)
Detroit Lions
Passing: Jared Goff (3,025)
Rushing: Jahmyr Gibbs (1,019)
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown (884)
Touchdowns: Jahmyr Gibbs (13)
Coaches:
Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer (1st season)
Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
