Dallas Cowboys Odds: Are the ‘Boys Big Pretenders Once Again?

This NFL season, as many since they last won the Super Bowl, started with the Dallas Cowboys being expected to be a top contender in the NFC.

Entering Week 6, Dallas has the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl and the third-best odds to win the NFC championship.

Relatively speaking, that is not bad at all, right?

At this juncture of the season, only the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers have better odds to win the NFC title.

Odds to Win the NFC Championship This Season (As of Wednesday, October 11)

Courtesy of BetUS.

• San Francisco 49ers +175
• Philadelphia Eagles +300
• Dallas Cowboys +550
• Detroit Lions +750
• New Orleans Saints +2000
• Seattle Seahawks +2000
• Atlanta Falcons +3300
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3300

Also, only the Eagles, 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins have better odds to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

Odds to Win Super Bowl LVIII (As of Wednesday, October 11)

Courtesy of BetUS.

• San Francisco 49ers +375
• Kansas City Chiefs +550
• Philadelphia Eagles +750
• Buffalo Bills +900
• Miami Dolphins +1000
• Dallas Cowboys +1200
• Baltimore Ravens +1600
• Detroit Lions +1600
• Cincinnati Bengals +2200

But how many believers are there in the Cowboys following a pitiful Sunday Night Football performance against the 49ers?

The surface numbers don’t always paint an accurate picture, but the stat sheet from San Francisco’s 42-10 win at Levi’s Stadium certainly do.

The Cowboys were outgained 421-197, had only eight first downs compared to 25 for the 49ers, and committed four turnovers, three of which were interceptions by Dak Prescott, which tied a career high.

All told, Dallas held the ball for only 22 minutes and 55 seconds, and they ran only 49 plays, both of which were season lows.

The performance and result appear to say a lot about the Niners, who made a strong statement that they may be the best team in the NFL.

But what does it say about the Cowboys? Well, I don’t think it says much, to be honest.

Is Dallas Simply Who We Thought They Were?

Personally, there’s only so much stock I take in a team laying an egg on the road.

After all, a week after demolishing the Denver Broncos in historic fashion, the Miami Dolphins visited the rival Buffalo Bills and left Highmark Stadium with a 48-20 loss.

Still, they are in a lofty position after getting back on track with a easy, breezy win over the New York Giants. As are the Bills, who, like the Cowboys and 23 other NFL teams, have lost multiple times already this season.

Had this happened at AT&T Stadium, it would have been more damning of a result for Dallas.

Ultimately, this team appears to more or less have the same floor and same ceiling that they have had for most of their recent history. One loss doesn’t really change that, and responding with a win streak wouldn’t either.

At their best, the talent and potential are certainly there to be a contender. As much scrutiny as Prescott receives week in, week out, he is 64-38 in the regular season in his NFL career.

At their worst, well, there’s a reason why Prescott does deserve plenty of scrutiny, as does coach Mike McCarthy.

We all know how much conversation Dallas generates on a national level and on social media, and it can be a bit over the top.

But the questions, doubts, and criticisms aren’t going to diminish even slightly until and unless Dak and the Cowboys do something in the postseason.

Not being able to get beyond the divisional round for almost 30 years is a pretty glaring thing for a franchise with the history, notoriety, financial clout, and expectations that Dallas has.

The same can be said for Manchester United, the New York Yankees, and Ferrari in Formula One, just to name a few.

Could the Cowboys still live up to their potential this season? Absolutely, but without winning the NFC East title, the chances of them doing so greatly decrease.

Odds to Win the NFC East This Season (As of Wednesday, October 11)

Courtesy of BetUS.

• Philadelphia Eagles -250
• Dallas Cowboys +200
• Washington Commanders +3300
• New York Giants +10000

Only once in their history have the Cowboys reached the Super Bowl without having at least one home game. That was in the 1975 season, when they won on the road against the Vikings and Rams before losing to the Steelers in Super Bowl X.

Since last reaching the Super Bowl, Dallas is 1-8 in road playoff games. The lone win came last season, when they routed Tom Brady and the Bucs, who had won the NFC South with an 8-9 record, on Super Wild Card Weekend.

Upcoming Schedule for the Dallas Cowboys

• Los Angeles Chargers (away – Week 6 Monday Night Football)
• BYE
• Los Angeles Rams (home)
• Philadelphia Eagles (away)
• New York Giants (home)
• Carolina Panthers (away)
• Washington Commanders (home – Thanksgiving Day)
• Seattle Seahawks (home – Week 13 Thursday Night Football)
• Philadelphia Eagles (home – Week 14 Sunday Night Football)
• Buffalo Bills (away)
• Miami Dolphins (away)
• Detroit Lions (home – Week 17 Saturday Night Football)
• Washington Commanders (away)

After their Week 6 visit to SoFi Stadium, five of the Cowboys’ following seven games will be at AT&T Stadium, where Dallas has won ten straight.

Early Cowboys-Chargers odds have Dallas favored, and if that holds, the only time they won’t be favored in their next eight games–if they were favored at home against the 13-1 Eagles last season, they will likely be favored at home against the defending NFC champs when they meet in Arlington on December 10–will be their Week 9 trip to Philadelphia.

So, the path is there to make a run. And with the Eagles facing a stretch in November and December when they face the Cowboys (home), Chiefs (away), Bills (home), 49ers (home), Cowboys (away) again, and Seahawks (away), the potential is there for the tide to turn.

In the end, postseason success will tell the tale, and the continued questions about whether or not that will occur are very justified.

If you haven’t gotten on the wagon at this point, you might not want to. But if you have invested in Cowboys futures, it is still too early to wail, weep, and gnash your teeth.

It certainly may seem a bit far-fetched to have any faith and optimism in the Cowboys after their SNF shellacking, but the outlook–and the odds–could look much, much different this time two months from now.

Where to Bet on the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL in 2023

Many of the top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of NFL odds throughout the season.

In addition to being able to bet on Super Bowl spread and over/under betting odds when the big game arrives, you can make weekly NFL picks on games all season long.

Also, you can bet on NFL MVP odds, Offensive Player of the Year odds, and NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds, and odds on the other major NFL awards at most reputable sports betting sites.

There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for NFL betting, but here are several books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other NFL Content on Betting News

• NFL Week 6 Odds, Predictions & Picks
• Lions vs Buccaneers Prediction & Best Bets
• 49ers vs Browns Prediction & Best Bets