Will Dallas Finally Be Tested At Home?
Our Lions vs Cowboys Game Preview Looks At All Angles For This NFC Matchup
Home-field advantage is real in the NFL
The Dallas Cowboys will look to stay undefeated at AT&T Stadium against the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
You read that right. The Cowboys might be 10-5 on the season. However, they’re 7-0 at home and have already clinched a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are 11-4 and not only clinched a berth in the playoffs but also won the NFC North for the first time ever.
However, oddsmakers still give the Cowboys a higher probability of winning at home. Dallas is a 6-point favorite, with the total sitting at 53.5 for this NFC matchup. Despite having 11 wins, the Lions can be bought at +220 on the moneyline.
Is -6 too steep of a price for the Cowboys?
Check out the Lions vs Cowboys game preview below.
Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys 
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Lions vs Cowboys Game Preview & Trends
Not only are the Lions and Cowboys good at winning games, but they’re also dominant against the spread.
The Lions have covered in ten of 15 games this season, while the Cowboys have added a cover in nine of 15 games this year.
Meanwhile, both teams have also hit the Over more times than the Under. The Lions have smacked the Over in ten of 15 games, while the Cowboys have watched the total hit Over in eight of 15 games.
The Lions are 6-2 on the road this season but have a challenging task against the Cowboys, who are 7-0 at home.
Furthermore, the Cowboys haven’t lost to the Lions since 2013. Dallas is on a five-game winning streak after its most recent win on October 23, 2022. The Cowboys earned a 24-6 win as seven-point favorites at home.
Detroit’s First NFC North Divisional Win
On Christmas Eve, the Detroit Lions earned a 30-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the NFC North division for the first time in 30 years.
The Lions won their last division in 1993, but they were a part of the NFC Central at that time. This is the first time where the Lions can call themselves NFC North Champions.
It’s also the first time since 2016 that the Lions made the playoffs. Beyond that, the Lions haven’t earned a playoff win in 31 years.
This Detroit team can shatter a whole lot of droughts this season. A win against the Cowboys on the road would undoubtedly prove that Detroit means business.
Dallas Needs CeeDee Lamb’s Production
CeeDee Lamb added six catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ loss to the Dolphins last week.
Lamb had four catches for 93 yards in the first quarter. But Lamb wasn’t much of a factor for the Cowboys after that.
The star wideout didn’t do anything in the second or third quarters and didn’t do enough in the fourth to help the Cowboys escape the Dolphins.
It looked like the Dolphins made adjustments to their defense. However, the Cowboys could’ve made adjustments to get the ball for Lamb and didn’t.
The Cowboys are a better team when Lamb is producing. They must keep finding ways to get him the ball later in games.
Is Dallas Imploding?
The Cowboys have lost two straight after scoring only 30 points against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins on the road.
However, in their last three games at home, the Cowboys won and added at least 33 points in each. The defense also held opponents to no more than 13 points in two of those three games.
It’s hard to pinpoint why, but the Cowboys are much better on the road. Of course, the crowd noise and home-cooked meals help. But there’s something more to it than just the Cowboys being at home. No other team in the NFL is undefeated at home this season.
Earlier in the season, Dak Prescott had a high probability of winning the MVP. His inability to perform on the road hurt his chances. However, the Cowboys have an effective offense that has earned 30.79 points per game. They’ve also earned over 250 yards in the air and 116.5 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s offense has earned more yards. But they’ve only scored 27.29 points per game. Still, the Lions could have two running backs with 1,000 yards this season. Detroit’s No. 1 running back, David Montgomery, has rushed 195 times for 910 yards.
Meanwhile, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has earned fewer carries but has been more effective, earning 872 yards on 154 carries.
There are two more games left on the schedule. But that would be some big NFL news out of Detroit. Those two could seriously earn that feat, except they could miss Week 18, depending on Detroit’s positioning for the playoffs.
Still, those two will play in this game and should have the most success against Dallas. The Cowboys dominate in the secondary and have a fierce pass rush with Micah Parsons leading the way. He’s been so good that he’s currently leading the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds with betting odds of -115. However, Dallas’ run defense hasn’t played nearly as well this season.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s secondary has been Swiss cheese many times this season. The missed tackles have also added up for the Lions. Up front, the Lions have been strong. But if Prescott gets time to find CeeDee Lamb down the field, it’s over for Detroit.
The NFL scores are typically high for Lions and Cowboys games because of how well the offenses have played. But at home, with the crowd on the Cowboys’ side, we’ll back Dallas at -6 (-110) to conclude our Lions vs Cowboys game preview.
