'Thursday Night Football' prediction, odds, line, start time: Lions vs. Cowboys picks by expert on 34-22 run

NFC teams coming off different results on Thanksgiving Day will meet on 'Thursday Night Football' as the Dallas Cowboys visit the Detroit Lions. Dallas (6-5-1) defeated Kansas City on Thanksgiving, 31-28, for its third straight victory. Detroit (7-5) fell to Green Bay on the holiday, 31-24, as the Lions have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games. However, the Lions won the last meeting between the teams, 47-9 in 2024, which is Dallas' largest margin of defeat since 1988.

Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET from Ford Field in Detroit. The Lions' victory in their 2024 matchup ended a six-game win streak by Dallas in the head-to-head series. Detroit is a 3-point favorite in the latest Lions vs. Cowboys odds, while the over/under for total points is 54.5. Before making any Cowboys vs. Lions picks, make sure to check out the 'Thursday Night Football' predictions from SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White.

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White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes against-the-spread picks. He's SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert this year with a 133-110 (+1724) run on all NFL picks and is an outstanding 34-22-2 (+1064) run over his last 58 NFL picks in Lions games. Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns. 

Now, White has set his sights on Lions vs. Cowboys and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Cowboys vs. Lions:

Why the Cowboys can cover

Dallas has both won and covered in three straight games, including the last two coming versus last year's Super Bowl participants in the Chiefs and Eagles. Meanwhile, Detroit has lost three straight versus the spread, and it has lost some of its best playmakers. Sam LaPorta (back) could be out for the season, while Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) is in danger of missing this game after not practicing on Monday and Tuesday. While Detroit still has its backfield of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to lean on, the run defense has been the biggest improvement for Dallas recently. Since acquiring Quinnen Williams from the Jets, Dallas has allowed just 69.7 rushing yards, which is less than half of the 143 yards per game it allowed in nine games prior to his arrival. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Lions can cover

These teams met in October 2024 -- in Dallas -- in which the Lions' 38-point victory was their third-largest road win, ever, while the game also marked Dallas' fourth-largest home loss in franchise history. So, Detroit should feel very confident it can take care of business at home, as the Cowboys average 6.9 fewer points on the road than in Dallas. Dan Campbell also knows how to get the best out of his team after a defeat, as the Lions have remarkable resiliency in terms of spread success. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Lions are 10-1 ATS (90.9%) following a straight-up defeat, while Dallas is just 11-13 ATS (45.8%) after a win over that same time frame. See which team to back at SportsLine.

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How to make Cowboys vs. Lions picks

White has analyzed Lions vs. Cowboys from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Cowboys vs. Lions, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lions vs. Cowboys spread you need to jump on, all from the expert that is 34-22-2 on his last 58 Detroit picks, and find out.