Detroit (11-4) at Dallas (10-5)
When: Saturday, December 30th, 2023
Where: AT&T Stadium,
Arlington, TX
Time: 8:15 ET | TV: ABC
Opening Odds: Dallas -6/52
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With no Monday Night Football game this week in the NFL, the marquee matchup switches to Saturday night with the Detroit Lions visiting the Dallas Cowboys. With Monday being Jan. 1, the NFL is giving way to the College Football Playoffs. Both Detroit and Dallas are already in the postseason and it’s simply a matter of seeding in the final two regular season games.
Detroit has won the NFC North for the first time in decades and will finally host a playoff game. Detroit’s last postseason win came in the Divisional Round following the 1991 season against Dallas. Detroit remains the only NFC team to never reach a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Dallas is in a battle with Philadelphia for the NFC East title. As it stands now, the Cowboys would have to play on the road in wild card weekend against the NFC South winner.
Including the postseason, Dallas leads the all-time series 18-12 and have won the past five (one postseason game). The Lions came to Jerry’s World last season and laid an egg in a 24-6 setback. Ezekiel Elliott (now with New England) led the way with two touchdowns runs, while Jared Goff had two interceptions. The Cowboys, who are 7-0 at home this season, are a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 52.
Detroit clinched the NFC North last week with a 30-24 win at Minnesota. It was the franchise’s first division crown since 1993 and they will host a playoff game for the first time in 22 years at Ford Field. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two touchdowns last week and Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 12 passes for 106 yards and a score. St. Brown has eight 100-yard receiving games this season, tying Tyreek Hill for the most in the NFL. The Lions defense came up big with four interceptions against the Vikings. The team ruled out safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (pectoral), linebacker James Houston (ankle) and tight end Brock Wright (hip).
Detroit Lions Injury Report [Week 17]
| Player | Pos. | Status/Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Decker | OT | Prob Sat - Groin - 12/28/23 |
| Frank Ragnow | C | Prob Sat - Back - 12/26/23 |
| Penei Sewell | OT | Prob Sat - Shoulder - 12/26/23 |
| Josh Paschal | DL | Prob Sat - Hand - 12/28/23 |
| Derrick Barnes | LB | Prob Sat - Shoulder - 12/26/23 |
| Jerry Jacobs | CB | Prob Sat - Hamstring - 12/26/23 |
| Cameron Sutton | CB | Ques Sat - Toe - 12/28/23 |
| Brock Wright | TE | Out Sat - Hip - 12/28/23 |
| Alim McNeill | DL | Out indefinitely - Knee - 12/5/23 |
| Halapoulivaati Vaitai | G | Out indefinitely - Back - 11/14/23 |
| Scott Daly | LS | Out indefinitely - Knee - 10/31/23 |
| Zonovan Knight | RB | I-R - Shoulder - 10/14/23 |
| Emmanuel Moseley | CB | I-R - Knee - 10/14/23 |
| Matt Nelson | OT | Out indefinitely - Ankle - 9/28/23 |
| James Houston | LB | Out Sat - Ankle - 12/28/23 |
| Nate Sudfeld | QB | I-R - Knee - 8/29/23 |
| Shane Zylstra | TE | I-R - Knee - 8/11/23 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | DB | Out Sat - Pectoral - 12/28/23 |
Dallas has been a completely different team at home with a 15-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium. Dallas is coming off back-to-back road losses, although last week was close in a 22-20 setback at Miami. The Dolphins won it on a field goal with 29 seconds left. Dallas is 3-5 on the road and no Cowboys team has ever gone to a Super Bowl with a losing road record. At home, Dallas has a plus-167 point differential and have scored at least 30 points in all seven games. The Cowboys scored only 10 points in the first three quarters against the Dolphins, and Prescott was sacked four times. In the team’s home games, Prescott has completed 74 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns and just two picks.
Dallas Cowboys Injury Report [Week 17]
| Player | Pos. | Status/Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Malik Hooker | S | Prob Sat - Ankle - 12/27/23 |
| Hunter Luepke | RB | Prob Sat - Thigh - 12/27/23 |
| Matt Waletzko | T | Prob Sat - Shoulder - 12/27/23 |
| Chuma Edoga | G | Ques Sat - Toe - 12/27/23 |
| Tyron Smith | T | Ques Sat - Back - 12/26/23 |
| Rico Dowdle | RB | Out Sat - Ankle - 12/28/23 |
| Johnathan Hankins | DT | Out Sat - Foot - 12/28/23 |
| Sean McKeon | TE | Out indefinitely - Ankle - 12/6/23 |
| Viliami Fehoko Jr. | DE | Ques Sat - Knee - 12/26/23 |
| Leighton Vander Esch | LB | I-R - Neck - 11/14/23 |
| C.J. Goodwin | CB | I-R - Pectoral - 10/16/23 |
| Trevon Diggs | CB | I-R - Knee - 9/23/23 |
| Josh Ball | T | I-R - Hip - 8/29/23 |
| David Durden | WR | I-R - Knee - 8/30/23 |
| John Stephens Jr. | WR | I-R - Knee - 8/30/23 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | LB | I-R - Knee - 8/29/23 |
You can’t ignore this Dallas team when they are at home. Detroit’s defense isn’t very good, so the Cowboys should hit the 30-point mark once again. The Lions can still get the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but I can see a bit of a letdown after last week’s division-clinching win.
Pick: Cowboys -5.5
