2023 NFL odds: Both Cowboys, Lions need win to keep pace in the NFC

Last updated: 2023/12/29 at 6:32 PM

BigP Published December 29, 2023

The Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions in Week 17 and America’s Team enters this matchup as 4.5-point favorites.

And based on the current playoff standings, if the 10-5 Cowboys hope to get a seeding boost, they need to win outright — even if they don’t cover.

Considering Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is having one of the best seasons of his career, NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali said that the Lions will have a tough time containing him on Saturday.

“This has been a concern of mine this entire season: The Lions defensive secondary just doesn’t have depth,” Vitali noted on Thursday’s NFL on FOX Podcast.

“With C.J. Gardner-Johnson going down, and then Emmanuel Moseley back for not even a game before he went out again …

“You got Jerry Jacobs who’s now practicing fully again, but Jerry Jacobs is their third corner, and they’re having to start him.”

Can Dak Prescott, Cowboys cook the Detroit Lions defense?

Currently, the Cowboys have seventh-best odds at +1000 to win the Super Bowl. To win the NFC East, they’re currently second at +380 behind the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dak Prescott’s MVP odds have also taken a dip as the ‘Boys have dropped two in a row. At the beginning of December, Prescott had the shortest odds at +160 to win the award; now he’s seventh on the list at +2000.

In the wake of Dallas’ recent woes, “Undisputed” co-host Keyshawn Johnson offered his perspective on the Cowboys’ Week 17 showdown with Detroit.

“When the pressure has been applied to this particular team, they’ve kind of crumbled to a degree. Now, a lot of that crumbling was on the road. Here’s the problem that I have. Can they stop the run?

“You’ve got a run-dominant team coming into your house. Can you slow them down enough in the running game that your defense is not worn down to the point of being bullied and pushed around?

“This is why I say, I don’t believe that the Cowboys will win this game. I’ve got them losing the game 29-23.”

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