The Dallas Cowboys are heading into Saturday night’s preseason matchup with the Arizona Cardinals as slight underdogs again, and the line says plenty about how the market views this team right now.
Dallas showed some real life in Week 1 against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. The defense settled in after a shaky start, and the Cowboys left that game with momentum. Still, the big conversation in Glendale is not just the result - it’s the backup quarterback battle and who might eventually sit behind Dak Prescott in 2026.
For now, the oddsmakers aren’t giving Dallas much credit. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Cardinals are 1.5-point favorites in a game that looks close to a pick ’em. The total is set at 37.5 points, a number that points to a tight, low-scoring night.
The moneyline tells the same story. Dallas is listed at -108, while Arizona sits at -118, meaning a $108 wager on the Cowboys would return $100, and a $118 bet on the Cardinals would do the same. In other words, this one is priced to stay close.
The Cowboys will try to turn that skepticism into another preseason win and do it as underdogs for the second straight week. Kickoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
After this game, Dallas heads back to Frisco for several open practice sessions for fans at The Star before wrapping up the preseason one week later against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium.
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
Start Time: 10:00 p.m.
ET
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Venue: State Farm Stadium
TV Info: NFL Network & Local listings
Betting Odds: Cardinals -1.5 | O/U: 37.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Cowboys -102 | Cardinals -118
In Other News...
Cardinals Collapse Put Their Quarterback Gamble In A Tougher Spot
The Cardinals preseason loss to Dallas did more than just fill a line in the standings. Even with most of their starters resting, Arizona gave up 34 points and 413 total yards to a Cowboys group built around backup players, a rough showing that put a spotlight on the kind of depth issues teams hope to avoid this time of year. It also served as a reminder that the offseason quarterback picture is already under a brighter-than-usual lens, with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck all part of the conversation.
Mike LaFleur pointed to a poor week of practice as part of the problem, and the game did little to ease the pressure around a roster trying to find some stability. The defensive concerns are obvious enough, but the bigger question may be how much support the quarterbacks will actually have if the rest of the team cannot hold up its end. For a club already weighing its options under center, a lopsided preseason setback does not make that decision any easier. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Defense Is Giving Fans A Familiar Reason To Worry
The Cardinals defense entered the 2025 preseason with some expectation that the new-look coaching staff would help clean up last years problems, but the early returns have looked awfully familiar. Under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, Arizona has already given up more than 30 points in two preseason games, and the issues have shown up in the same places they did before: stopping the run and getting off the field on third down.
Arizona allowed 25.6 points per game in the preseason, along with 139.7 rushing yards and a 61.1% opponent third-down conversion rate, numbers that point to more than just August rust. With coaching changes at most positions but continuity at defensive coordinator, the Cardinals are still searching for signs that the problems from a year ago are being addressed rather than repeated. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Still Have Key Week 1 Jobs Up For Grabs
With one preseason game left before the roster gets trimmed to 53, the Cardinals are still sorting out a few of the most important Week 1 decisions. Mike LaFleur is expected to settle on Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, while Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier appear set to share the workload at running back, giving Arizona a clearer picture of the top of the depth chart even as the final shape of the lineup remains in flux.
Plenty of other jobs are still being sorted out on both sides of the ball, and the last exhibition outing figures to matter for more than just fringe roster hopefuls. Several projected starters and rotation spots are still tied to game-plan needs and how players perform in live action, which means the Cardinals are entering the finish line with a few questions still open and a lot of the meaningful decisions still ahead. [Read more 🡒]