2 Best NFL Bets and Predictions for Cowboys at Lions on Thursday Night Football

Even within a single NFL game, betting markets are abundant.

You've got everything from spreads and totals to touchdown scorers and player props at your disposal. It can be a lot to sort through.

Using the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as a guide, here are the best bets for the Thursday night matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Cowboys at Lions Betting Picks on Thursday Night Football

Lions Team Total Under 28.5 (-120)

I adore Jared Goff and have tons of faith in Dan Campbell. I think they deserve to be three-point favorites here.

They're just so banged up that it's hard to pass up an under on a team total this high.

The Lions enter Thursday potentially without two of their four best skill players in Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Even if St. Brown goes, he won't be at full health after not practicing all week.

If their offensive line were still humming like it was last year, they could overcome that. But that's not the case right now with almost every player up front playing through some sort of injury.

I think Campbell and company will cook up a good gameplan. That's why I'm not rushing to take the Cowboys plus the points. But that gameplan likely will involve a bunch of runs, which sucks up clock and reduces the play count in the game. When you add that to the potential for the Lions to just struggle overall, we have multiple paths to this team total going under. That's enough for me to snag it.

Lions First Drive Result: Any Other (+500)

This is always a fun market for teams that are aggressive on 4th down, and not many teams are more aggressive than the Lions.

The Lions have gone for it on fourth down 25 times this year, tied for fifth most in the league. Their conversion rate is 52.0%, which is still a middle of the pack number even though they've failed to convert on seven straight attempts. Campbell has already said that string won't change their approach -- nor should it. It fits with the mentality he has served to this team, and it does provide them with an edge.

It does also, though, juice up the odds of "Any Other" hitting in this market. The other routes would be via a turnover, and the probability there increases due to all of the injuries, as well.

The Lions' first drive has resulted in "Any Other" just once so far this year, so the historical rates aren't on our side. With Campbell's approach, I think that's due for regression, especially when you consider the chips stacked against the Lions here.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $150 in Bonus Bets if your first $5+ bet wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which NFL bets stand out to you? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.