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Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions
Where: Ford Field
When: Sunday, November 17, 2019, 1:00 pm ET
We have an NFC non-divisional matchup to consider for Sunday afternoon when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Detroit Lions in a game that matters for both teams. Dallas is 5-4 this season with a 2-2 road record coming off a 28-24 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit is 3-5-1 this season, 2-2 at Ford Field, and enters this matchup hoping to end a two-game losing streak when these two tackle football teams take the field Sunday afternoon.
Dallas Loses to Vikings
Dallas had won two games in a row, but then Minnesota came to town and they wound up losing that game by a score of 28-24. That loss left the Cowboys with a 5-4 record and a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East. The Cowboys need to get back on track, and hopefully, it begins on the road against the Detroit Lions.LIVE: Head coach Jason Garrett’s press conference from The Star in Frisco as #DETvsDAL prep continues. https://t.co/P5VOf2AUZg
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 13, 2019
The Lions defense allows a whopping 402 yards per game. That’s third-worst in the NFL this season with 286 passing yards and 129 rushing yards allowed this season.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown for 2777 yards with 18 touchdowns alongside nine interceptions. Prescott has rushed for 175 yards with three touchdowns and has been sacked just 11 times this season.
Cowboys wideout Amari Cooper is the primary recipient of Prescott’s prowess, and he’s grabbed 53 balls for 848 yards and seven touchdowns with 14 plays of over 20 yards. Wide receiver Michael Gallup has 530 receiving yards with three touchdowns and is second in targets with 56. Tight end Jason Witten has 338 yards with 338 receiving yards with a pair of scores, and wideout Randall Cobb has 380 receiving yards with two trips to the end zone this season.
All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 788 yards on 178 attempts with six touchdowns with an additional 192 receiving yards this season. Running back, Tony Pollard has 226 rushing yards, one touchdown, and 37 extra receiving yards in a backup role to Elliott.
Stafford Questionable for Sunday
Detroit is 3-5-1 this season and has lost four of its previous five games, including a week ten road loss to the Chicago Bears. They played without quarterback Mathew Stafford, who is questionable for Sunday. The Lions are last in the NFC North and desperately need a win to keep its scant playoff hopes alive.LIVE: Head Coach Matt Patricia is with the media #OnePride https://t.co/0CayJfKI7t
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 13, 2019
The Cowboys have one of the better, more underrated defenses in the NFL, allowing 343 total yards per game. 240 passing yards allowed alongside 1-3 rushing yards is how teams score the 18.9 points per game Dallas allows.
Stafford is listed as questionable and didn’t practice on Wednesday. If he does play, he will be able to hurt the Cowboys. The veteran signal-caller has thrown for 2499 yards with 19 touchdowns alongside five interceptions. Stafford has rushed for 66 yards with 18 sacks this season.
If Stafford can’t go, look for Jeff Driskell to take the reigns as he did against Chicago, throwing for 269 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He suffered two sacks that could be problematic for anyone taking snaps for Detroit as the Cowboys pass rush has 23 sacks this season.
Detroit has three primary receivers; wideout Kenny Golladay leads the way with 38 receptions for 697 yards with eight touchdowns. Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr has 612 receiving yards with six touchdowns and veteran wideout Danny Amendola has 405 receiving yards and one trip to the end zone this season.
The Lions backfield has been a disaster all season. Still, they will likely look to running back J.D. McKissic, and his 176 rushing yards or rookie running back TY Johnson, who’s rushed for 153 yards but is listed as questionable for Sunday with a concussion suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Bears.
Update: (11/15): Stafford will not play according to head coach Matt Patricia, who made that announcement on Friday. According to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, Stafford has fractured bones in his back.
Notable Trends
- Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Lions are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games in November.
- Lions are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
The top supporting trends for this game found on Covers.com, are
- Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in November.
- Cowboys are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
- Cowboys are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
The Bottom Line What to bet on this game.
Full-Game Side Bet
The Cowboys need this game to continue their road to the playoffs. They have too many offensive weapons to hurt the Lions' defense, which allows over 400 yards per game. Zeke and Dak are a tough combination to stop. The Lions do have an explosive offense even if Stafford doesn't play, and they will likely score on the Cowboys, but the Dallas defense is too good in this matchup. They will stop Detroit often enough to cover the spread on Sunday afternoon.
I will lay the points and play the Cowboys to cover the spread.
Prediction: Cowboys -3
Full-Game Total Pick
If Stafford plays, I will go with the over, but we must assume he isn't playing, and the Lions offense isn't going to score enough points to combine with Dallas to exceed the total. Dallas will likely score around 28 points, and I look for the Lions without Stafford to score 21 points at the most with Driskell at the helm. He just doesn't have Stafford's arm to be able to move the ball veritcally.
I will play UNDER in this matchup.
Prediction: Under 51
