Just a few weeks ago, with the Philadelphia Eagles running rampant atop the NFC East and the Washington Commanders floundering, it looked as if the division’s 20-year run without consecutive winners would finally come to an end. It probably still will — Philadelphia leads the Dallas Cowboys by 1.5 games and has -900 odds of claiming the division again — but the Eagles have lost two straight games and the Cowboys have won three straight, including a win over Philadelphia in Week 12.
Dallas has a chance to cut the deficit to a single game if it can beat the Detroit Lions — who, at 7-5, are currently outside the playoff picture after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season — on Thursday Night Football. The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET at Ford Field in Detroit.
If the Cowboys want to pick up a win, they’ll need a strong performance not only from quarterback Dak Prescott and WR1 George Pickens; WR2 CeeDee Lamb needs to play well, too.
Dallas is a three-point underdog for tonight’s showdown at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 54.5. Below, I’ve detailed my favorite prop bets centered around Lamb.
Best CeeDee Lamb Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
CeeDee Lamb O84.5 Receiving Yards (-111)
Though 84.5 yards is a pretty high line — and two yards higher than that of Pickens, whose 1,142 receiving yards trail only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and who has averaged 12.5 more yards per game than Lamb this season — he stands a reasonable chance of getting there, given that he’s done it in five of his nine games overall and three of his six since returning from the ankle sprain that held him out between Weeks 3 and 6. In fact, he led the Cowboys in receiving yards during the Thanksgiving win over the Kansas City Chiefs with 112. He’s more or less alternated the WR1a and WR1b roles with Pickens, garnering more targets than the Georgia product in six of the eight complete games that the two have played together.
For a thin Lions secondary, it’s a pick-your-poison scenario. Both have had similar production and efficiency, though Pickens has had steadier hands and has been slightly more effective after the catch. Lamb, a former All-Pro First Teamer in Prescott’s last complete healthy season, has the better overall track record, so he can’t be ignored despite his struggles with drops this season. Regardless of which wideout Detroit chooses to emphasize, two things are clear: with cornerback Terrion Arnold on IR and safety Kerby Joseph remaining out, the Lions’ secondary is thin, and Prescott combines volume and efficiency like few other quarterbacks. Lamb and Pickens could easily both clear their respective lines.
CeeDee Lamb Anytime TD Scorer (+120)
Lamb ranks just fourth on Dallas’ roster in total touchdowns behind running back Javonte Williams (10), Pickens (eight), and tight end Jake Ferguson (seven), but two of those touchdowns have come in the last three weeks. He’s also garnered more red zone targets per game (1.25) than Pickens (1.2) and caught a higher percentage (50.0%) of his red zone targets than Pickens (46.7%). Pickens (+125 anytime TD) is probably the better bet to score overall, but this game should be high-scoring enough that both men could find paydirt. With the second- and fourth-best scoring offenses and the second- and 17th-worst scoring defenses, the game has the highest point total of the week.
Detroit’s secondary hasn’t exactly been great at keeping opposing wide receivers out of the end zone. This season, the Cowboys have given up the most receiving touchdowns to wideouts with 21, but the Lions are right behind at 19, and no other team has given up more than 16. Each of Detroit’s outside cornerbacks, Rock Ya-Sin and D.J. Reed, has been beaten for a touchdown as the nearest defender this season, and star safety Brian Branch — who might guard Lamb when he lines up in the slot — has given up four. Prescott should be forced to keep throwing as long as the Lions’ offense — likely down Amon-Ra St. Brown in addition to Kalif Raymond and Sam LaPorta — puts points on the board.
