Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac Teslaa (18) warms up ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game at Ford Field in Detroit on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

The Detroit Lions are hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a Week 14 "Thursday Night Football" matchup that will be critical for the NFC playoff picture.

The Lions and Cowboys are both currently on the outside looking in of the playoff field. Detroit (7-5) would be the first team out if the postseason began today, while Dallas (6-5-1) is just a half-game back of the Lions in the overall NFC standings.

As such, the winner of Thursday's game will establish itself as the biggest threat to play spoiler in the NFC wild-card race. The victorious squad will also have an opportunity to make up ground in what are shaping up to be tight divisional races.

That said, the loser of the "TNF" battle will see its playoff chances drop dramatically. For example, the Lions enter Week 14 with an estimated 41% chance of making the playoffs, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Their chances improve to 55% with a win but drop to 19% with a loss.

The Cowboys are in a similar boat, sporting a 20% chance to make it entering Week 14, which rises to 39% with a win and drops to 9% with a loss.

Suffice it to say, Detroit and Dallas will both be desperate for wins. That should create an exciting, hard-fought battle between the two teams. It could also be a shootout, considering how good each offense has been during the 2025 NFL season.

With that in mind, what are the best bets for "Thursday Night Football" in Week 14? Here are some of the best prop bets to back, as well as a prediction against the spread for the key NFC clash.

Lions vs. Cowboys best bets

All odds are via BetMGM as of Thursday.

Dallas Cowboys (+3, -110) at Detroit Lions

It's probably too harsh to say the Cowboys and Lions are going in opposite directions, but there's little doubt Dallas has been the better of the two teams over the last few weeks.

The Cowboys are suddenly looking like a complete team. Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense has averaged 29.3 points per game during the team's three-game winning streak while the team's post-bye defensive additions have allowed them to get enough timely stops to beat high-end opponents.

Meanwhile, the Lions have been up-and-down for the better part of two months. They are 3-4 in their last seven games and have been choppy offensively amid some injuries to the team's offensive line. Now, top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is banged up, and that could make it hard for Jared Goff and Co. to consistently move the ball.

This game feels like a true coin-flip, so getting the points with Dallas seems prudent for a game that could be decided on the final possession.

OVER 54.5 points scored (-110)

As mentioned, the Cowboys have averaged just shy of 30 points per game over their three-game winning streak. The Lions haven't been as sharp of late, but Detroit's 29.2 points per game average still ranks third-best in the NFL, just one spot behind the second-ranked Cowboys.

And while Dallas' defense has been slightly better of late, the Cowboys have still surrendered a 28.5 points per game (second-most in the NFL) and rank third-worst in defensive EPA allowed per play, per the NFL Next Gen Stats. That should allow the Goff and Co. to trade blows with Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens – who are facing a Detroit secondary dealing with injuries to Terrion Arnold and Kerby Joseph – in what figures to be a high-scoring game.

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs 100+ rushing yards (+175)

The Lions have played three games against run defenses that rank in the bottom quartile league-wide in defensive EPA per rushing play. How did Gibbs fare against those opponents? He has averaged 14 carries for 138.3 yards and 1.3 rushing touchdowns across three games.

The Cowboys rank third-worst league-wide in defensive EPA per rushing attempt, so Gibbs should have a chance at a big day. The 23-year-old has game-breaking speed and should get plenty of problem with Detroit looking shorthanded at receiver. Don't be surprised if he rips off a long one and eclipses 100 rushing yards for the fourth time in seven games.

Isaac TeSlaa anytime TD scorer (+200)

St. Brown and Kalif Raymond are two of the Lions' top three receivers in terms of playing time this season. Both may be unable to suit up for "Thursday Night Football," which would open the door for TeSlaa to do some damage against a Cowboys defense that has surrendered a league-high 21 receiving touchdowns to wide-outs this year.

TeSlaa, a third-round rookie, has made just six catches through Week 13, but three of them have gone for touchdowns. He has had scored success thanks to his 6-4, 215-pound frame and elite-level body control. He should be a natural target for Goff in an expanded role and could absorb some of the red-zone looks usually reserve for St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, who is out for the season with a back injury.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lions vs. Cowboys best bets, player props, TD scorers for "Thursday Night Football"

Reporting by Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect