There’s no way to know for sure who will win, but most recent analytical models and betting markets slightly favor the Lions over the Cowboys in this matchup, usually by a field goal or less.

Current outlook

  • Several simulation models give the Lions around a 60% chance to win, projecting a close, high‑scoring game rather than a blowout either way.
  • Many expert score predictions land in the “Lions by 1–3 points” range (for example, 28–25 or 28–27), reflecting a very thin edge, not a dominant gap.

Why analysts lean Lions

  • Home field: The game is in Detroit, and the Lions have generally been stronger at home, which is one reason sportsbooks list them as favorites of about a field goal.
  • Offensive balance: Detroit’s offense has been efficient both through the air and on the ground, which models see as a good matchup against a Cowboys defense that has allowed big plays and high point totals at times.

Cowboys’ chances

  • The Cowboys still have a very real shot; pricing that gives Detroit ~60% implies Dallas wins roughly 4 out of 10 simulations, which is far from a long shot.
  • With Dak Prescott and a top-tier passing attack, Dallas can turn this into a shootout where a few explosive plays or turnovers flip the expected script.

Reasonable expectation

  • Most up‑to‑date previews frame this as a tight, high‑scoring, playoff‑impact game where the Lions are the “smart pick,” but any single game has a lot of randomness, so either side winning would be unsurprising.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.