Week 14 of NFL action starts off with a bang. This is a huge game when it comes to the NFC playoff picture, and is almost a playoff game itself. The first two teams on the outside looking in are the 7-5 Detroit Lions. And their Thursday Night opponent is the 6-5-1 Dallas Cowboys. With just five weeks remaining, every game counts. Let’s jump in and preview this Cowboys-Lions matchup, make our Thursday Night Football picks, and find the best bets to place.
The visiting Dallas Cowboys just won two games in four days. But, they weren’t your average football games. They defeated both teams from last year’s Super Bowl. First, the Philadelphia Eagles in a revenge game from their Week 1 loss. Then on Thanksgiving Day, they took down Patrick Mahomes and company to breathe true life into a potential playoff run. The Detroit Lions also played on Thanksgiving, but their result was different from the Cowboys. They played their NFC North foe, the Green Bay Packers. They lost 31-24. The loss was their second in three games, dropping one to the Philadelphia Eagles before surviving the New York Giants in overtime. Amon-Ra St. Brown remains questionable but has yet to be seen at practice after an ankle injury left him out of the game early last week. It’s looking unlikely he’ll play on Thursday.
NFL Injury Roundup 🤠
Tuesday, NFL Week 14
Offense#DallasCowboys WR George Pickens (knee) – Upgraded to a FULL practice, good to go for Thursday 📈#OnePride WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) – Another missed practice & very unsure he would play when asked. Would call him more…
— Sebastian Fearon DPT, CSCS, OCS (@TheDegenDoc) December 3, 2025
Thursday Night Football Picks, Preview, and Best Bets: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions
Isaac TeSlaa Over 30.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
With St Brown likely missing, or at least limited with his ankle injury, in steps Isaac TeSlaa. Jameson Williams takes over the #1 role, but TeSlaa is the guy who interests me on Thursday Night. When Amon-Ra went down on Thursday, the Lions quickly turned to him for two catches for 32 yards, and most importantly, a touchdown. He’s become a reliable threat to score a touchdown, and while he hasn’t seen a ton of work this year, this is a great spot for him to step up. TeSlaa averages 16.2 yards per catch. As his name suggests, he’s electric when he gets the ball in his hands, and has great ability to break a big play. With a week, albeit a short one, to work him in and design plays for him. The Lions will get him worked in. A happy bonus, the Cowboys are the third-worst team in the NFL against the pass. It’s going to be a big play game, and he’s the big play man.
Jahmyr Gibbs Over 117.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115)
Dan Campbell can tell us all he wants that getting Jameson Williams the ball is his top goal, but it’s going to be getting the ball to Gibbs. With St. Brown down, and LaPorta out. Gibbs is by far the most explosive and best weapon remaining for Campbell and Jared Goff. Gibbs has had a massive season, rushing for over 1,000 yards and amassing almost 400 yards through the air. Green Bay pretty well kept him bottled up last week, but he showed us against the Giants the type of damage he can do. Especially against bad defenses. Gibbs racked up 264 yards of total offense in that game. It was the third game in a row of he went over the 118-yard mark. Overall, Gibbs has outproduced this number in four of the last six. With star playmakers out, and going against a bad defense. Feed that man the ball, Dan Campbell!
Dallas Cowboys +3.5 (-121)
Even though both of my props are on the Lions, the Cowboys are too good to pass up here. Getting more than a field goal in what should be a shootout and close game is the way to go. It didn’t feel like they’d do it against the Eagles; it didn’t feel like they’d do it against the Chiefs. Yet they got it done in both games, and the Lions are a beat-up squad. Maybe they don’t win, but I can see this being a field goal as time expires to win the game, so give me the dog who’s been barking big time the last few weeks.
