The Dallas Cowboys head into Week 9 with little margin for error, and the betting market is still giving them a surprisingly strong nod.
After another ugly loss to the Arizona Cardinals dropped Dallas to 3-5, the Cowboys are staring at a must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts. With the NFL trade deadline looming, a loss would all but slam the door on any realistic hope of salvaging the season, even with the NFC East sitting there as a wide-open path.
Oddsmakers, though, aren’t backing away. DraftKings Sportsbook opened Dallas as a six-point favorite on the road, a line that suggests more confidence than the Cowboys have earned lately. The total is set at 51.5 points, a number that could be in play if Dallas’ defense keeps leaking points the way it has in recent weeks.
The moneyline reflects the same lean toward the Cowboys. Dallas is listed at -278, meaning a bettor would need to risk $278 to win $100. The Colts, meanwhile, are priced at +255, so a $100 bet on Indianapolis would return $255.
Sunday’s matchup is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will air on FOX. Adam Amin and Drew Brees will call the game, with Kristina Pink reporting from the sideline.
The full betting setup for the game is below:
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
Start Time: 1:00 p.m.
ET
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV Info: FOX
Betting Odds: Cowboys -6 | O/U: 51.5 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Cowboys -278, Colts +255
If Dallas gets back in the win column, the trade deadline picture gets a lot more interesting. If not, the Cowboys may have to start thinking like sellers. Either way, the next few days should tell the story.
In Other News...
Quinnen Williams Sounds Off As Cowboys Defense Hits Breaking Point
With the Cowboys sitting at 3-5 and trying to steady a defense that has repeatedly put them in a hole, Quinnen Williams has emerged as one of the few bright spots on that side of the ball. His production has stood out even in a difficult season, but he has also taken ownership of some of the units shortcomings, a sign of how much pressure is building around a group that has struggled to find consistency.
As Dallas turns its attention to the Colts in Week 9, the bigger question is whether Williams can help spark a turnaround before the season slips further out of reach. The defense has reached a breaking point, and while Williams has been part of the solution at times, the Cowboys still need more from everyone around him if they want to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Secondary Is Already Emerging As A Long Term Draft Priority
The Cowboys defense has been one of the early disappointments of the season, with the unit sitting near the bottom of the league in both total defense and pass defense. That kind of performance tends to sharpen the focus on the draft board, and one recent 2027 NFL mock draft already has Dallas looking to the secondary for help, projecting Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV as a future fit.
Robinson has put together a strong college rsum and would give the Cowboys a young corner with the kind of upside teams covet when they start thinking beyond the current roster. The fit becomes even more interesting if Dallas eventually decides to move on from DaRon Bland, which would leave a clear opening for another long-term piece in a secondary that needs more stability. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Schottenheimer Is Fueling A Cowboys Fear Fans Know Too Well
Brian Schottenheimers offense left the familiar kind of unease hanging over the Cowboys after a loss that felt avoidable for long stretches. The play-calling leaned conservative, the running game never found much efficiency, and the passing concepts too often looked easy to diagnose, all of it feeding the sense that Dallas had enough talent to do more but not enough variety in how it was being used.
What stood out most was how the game management seemed to tighten when the Cowboys needed answers late. Schottenheimer has been under scrutiny before for not adapting quickly enough or closing games with conviction, and this one added to that concern, with decisions that invited second-guessing instead of settling the outcome. For a roster built to contend, the frustration is not just the loss itself, but the nagging feeling that the same old offensive problems are still waiting to show up when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]