Cowboys’ odds available, but not in Texas

By David Mullen

Wanna’ bet on how many games the Dallas Cowboys will win in the upcoming 2024 season? You can’t, at least legally in Texas. Sports betting online or in person on NFL football or any other sport (except for horse racing) is illegal in the Lone Star State. But there are plenty of other states that would be happy to take your money. 

According to the online site LSR (legalsportsreport.com), “Currently 38 states (plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico) offer legal sports betting in some format.” Online sportsbooks account for the vast majority of legal wagering on sports throughout the U.S. 

Sports betting is a boon to the state coffers. As a source of tax revenue, according to data from LSR, “New York collects the most taxes with more than $2 billion, followed by Pennsylvania with $615 million and New Jersey with $541 million. In terms of sports betting handles, New Jersey comes on top with over $51 billion in bets, followed by New York ($45 billion) and Nevada ($41 billion).” Imagine if Texas ever got into the game. 

Texas is not the only — or even the largest — state facing obstacles in getting a sports betting bill passed. California voters recently shot down a ballot measure to legalize mobile wagering by more than 4 to 1. Like many other states, tribal gaming interests control the future of sports wagering. 

This is not meant to be a story about legalizing sports betting in Texas. That is a discussion for another year, like 2025, which is the first time the Texas Legislature can even consider legalizing sports betting. Odds are that it will be many years before Texans can make a legal bet on the Houston Texans. 

This story is about the bets that can be made in advance of the upcoming season, and all lines quoted come from various Las Vegas sources. The odds will change depending on the sportsbook and as the season start date of Thursday, Sept. 5 nears.  

The Cowboys are coming off of a season of lofty expectations that came crashing down on the Hellas Matrix Turf of AT&T Stadium after a stunning dismissal by the Green Bay Packers, 48-32, in the Wild Card playoff game on January 14. 

A lackluster offseason followed that produced more questions than answers. Vegas has spoken and the oddsmakers are not bullish on the “Boyz” in 2024.   

This year, Vegas has pegged the Cowboys win total at 9.5, grouped with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (11.5 wins), the San Francisco 49ers (10.5) and Baltimore Ravens (10.5) have higher projected win totals.

With the other NFC East teams — the New York Giants and Washington Commanders — expected to win 5.5 games, the division is a two-team race. 

Philadelphia is the favorite to win the NFC East -110 with the Cowboys at +155. At -110, if a bettor puts down $110 on the Eagles to win the division, they make a $100 profit. If they put $100 on the Cowboys and Dallas wins the division, the bettor makes a $155 profit.

The odds on either team winning the NFC are +700. The Eagles are 15 to 1 and the Cowboys are 19 to 1 to win Super Bowl LIX, while divisional foes Washington is 150 to 1 and New York is 190 to 1.

Bettors can also customize their Super Bowl LIX matchup. If a betting fan thinks the Cowboys will face Kansas City on February 9, 2025, a $100 bet will win $3,700. One gaming scribe wrote, “I’ve seen worse 37-1 betting odds, but do you really want to put your money in Dak Prescott in the postseason?”

 One can bet on the first coach to be fired in the upcoming season. Doc’s Sports (docsports.com) thinks New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen will be the first coach fired (5 to 1), followed by New York Jets coach Robert Saleh (5.5 to 1) and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy at 6 to 1. 

Doc’s Sports wrote, “[The Cowboys] are too talented to start the season 2-6, and that’s probably what it will take for McCarthy to get canned before the offseason.” 

The Cowboys’ first eight games are at Cleveland, vs. New Orleans, vs. Baltimore, at New York Giants, at Pittsburgh, vs. Detroit, at San Francisco and at Atlanta to face an improved Falcons team. A 2-6 start for McCarthy, given the lack of enthusiasm for the upcoming season, is not that farfetched. 

CeeDee Lamb is a 9 to 1 choice to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, behind Miami’s Tyreek Hill (7 to 1) and San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey (7.5 to 1). Dallas LB Micah Parsons is co-favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year with Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt at 5.5 to 1. Taking Parsons is a great bet.

With a 33-18 record (65 percent) against the spread over the past three seasons, the Cowboys have made bettors around the country a lot of money. But without sports gaming, Texas has not benefited from any of the Cowboys’ successes.