The Detroit Lions (1-4) come off their bye to face the Dallas Cowboys (4-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm ET. Below we continue our NFL odds series with a Lions-Cowboys prediction and pick.

Detroit is 1-4 coming off their bye week and has lost three consecutive games. The Lions lost a tight game in week one to the Eagles before winning their only game of the season against the Commanders. Since then, they've dropped games to the Vikings, Seahawks, and Patriots. They were shutout 29-0 in their most recent game against New England. Detroit is in last place in the NFC North. They're 3-2 ATS and four of their five games have gone over.

Dallas is 4-2 after last week's 17-26 loss to Philadelphia. Prior to the loss, the Cowboys had won four straight games against the Rams, Commanders, Giants, and Bengals. Before the win streak, they'd dropped their season opener to Tampa Bay. Dallas is 4-2 ATS and four of their six games have gone under.

Here are the Lions-Cowboys NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Lions-Cowboys Odds

Detroit Lions: +6.5 (-106)

Dallas Cowboys: -6.5 (-114)

Over: 48.5 (-114)

Under: 48.5 (-106)

Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread

Detroit possessed the most potent offense in the NFL prior to their shutout loss to New England. They'd scored 35 points in three games despite their 1-4 record. The Lions are 25th in team DVOA despite their strong offense.

The Lions are third in the league in scoring despite missing their two best offensive players for large portions of the season. Running back DeAndre Swift and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are both expected to play this week. Swift was electric in his two full games this season. He racked up 175 total yards in week one and 87 yards in week two. Swift was on his way to another solid showing in week three before exiting with an injury that has kept him out since. Jamaal Williams has been effective in his absence. For the season he's rushed for 332 yards and 6 touchdowns. They'll both be major factors against a Dallas defense that has given up 4.4 yards per rush and is 19th in rushing defense.

St. Brown returned prior to the bye week but played sparingly in the blowout loss. He's been incredible since taking over as a starter last season. Dating back to last season, St. Brown has started 13 games. In those starts, he's amassed 85 catches for 869 yards and seven touchdowns. Extrapolated over a full 17-game season, St. Brown would have 111 catches for 1136 yards and nine touchdowns. He's an upper-echelon receiver who will be much-needed against Dallas' fourth-ranked pass defense.

Dallas' biggest advantage, however, comes on the offensive line. The Lions have the fourth-lowest sack % in the NFL but will face their toughest challenge to date against the Cowboys. Dallas has a fearsome pass rush led by Micah Parsons. The Cowboys have the second-highest sack rate in the league, taking down the quarterback on 10.2% of passes. If the Lions' offensive line can keep the pressure off quarterback Jared Goff, they have the offensive firepower to hang with the Cowboys.

Why The Cowboys Could Cover The Spread

Dallas has been excellent considering they've been without their starting quarterback for essentially the entire season. The Cowboys are 4th in DVOA despite an offense that's 23rd in scoring and 27th in yards per game. They still have a 4-2 record. How, you might ask?

Two words – Micah Parsons.

The do-it-all defensive playmaker has been incredible this season and is the backbone of Dallas's top-five defense. Parsons is second in the league in sacks, third in tackles for loss, and fourth in quarterback pressures. He's hardly the only playmaker on Dallas' defensive, however, as this has been a full team effort. Dallas is 4th in defensive DVOA and has allowed the third-fewest points per game. They're well-equipped to handle Detroit's passing attack. The Cowboys have allowed the third-fewest passing yards in the league.

Offensively, the Cowboys have been below average through the air but are expected to get starting quarterback Dak Prescott back from injury. Cooper Rush was serviceable as a fill-in but Dallas was 31st in completion percentage and 27th in passing yards per game. Prescott should be able to vastly improve on those numbers against Detroit's 26th-ranked pass defense.

Prescott won't have to carry the entire load offensively in his first game back, however. The Cowboys have a solid run game with their tw0-headed attack of Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard. Dallas is an average running team despite their lack of a passing game. The two have combined for 678 yards on 149 carries – good for 4.5 yards per carry. They should be busy against Detroit's bottom-five rush defense.

Final Lions-Cowboys Prediction & Pick

Detroit has been frisky this year but hasn't faced a defense like Dallas. In Dak's first game back, expect the Cowboys' offense to be firing on all cylinders.

Final Lions-Cowboys Prediction & Pick: Dallas Cowboys -7.5 (-114)