The Dallas Cowboys are heading into Week 1 with a little less shine than some fans might expect.
Brian Schottenheimer’s team opens the 2026 season against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, and despite what the offseason may have suggested, oddsmakers still aren’t sold on Dallas as a true Super Bowl 61 heavyweight. The Cowboys sit at +2500 to win it all, which gives them the 16th-best odds in the league and the eighth-best mark in the NFC.
That puts them behind the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears on the NFC side. Dallas does get a direct look at plenty of that competition during the season, too.
Five of those seven NFC teams are on the Cowboys’ schedule, with Detroit and Chicago the only exceptions. They also face two AFC clubs listed ahead of them, the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.
Even with those matchups, the schedule isn’t being viewed as especially brutal. Dallas has the 13th-easiest slate on paper, based on the fact that its 2026 opponents went 142-146-1 in 2025, a combined winning percentage of .493.
The odds picture has moved in Dallas’ direction over the past several months, but only so much. Right after the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, the Cowboys were sitting at +3500 and alone in 17th.
By mid-March, after the first wave of free agency, they had improved to +3000 and were tied for 16th with the Cincinnati Bengals. The post-draft bump in late April got them to +2500, which moved them into a tie for 15th with the Bears.
They’ve never climbed above the group of teams ahead of them.
There’s still a long way to go before any of this matters in February, but the market’s message is clear: the Cowboys may look better than last year’s 7-10-1 team, especially on defense, yet they’re still being treated like a second-tier contender rather than a true favorite.
Super Bowl 61 will be played on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
In Other News...
Cowboys Enter Week 1 With A Tight End Problem
As the Cowboys get ready for their regular-season opener against the Giants, the tight end room is already looking thinner than anyone around the team would like. Luke Schoonmaker sat out practice with his status still unclear, while practice squad tight end Michael Trigg is rehabbing a toe injury, leaving Dallas to sort through a position group that has taken a hit before the games even start.
Princeton Fant and DJ Rogers are both on injured reserve, which is why the Cowboys may need to look at a practice squad move just to keep the depth chart functional. One possible answer is James Mitchell, who could be elevated if Dallas decides it needs another body at tight end for Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
John Harbaugh Is Already Turning Up The Tension Before Cowboys Opener
With Sunday nights opener against the Cowboys looming, John Harbaugh is already treating the week like a chess match. The Giants coach declined to get into game plans or specific player details at his press conference, making it clear he sees no value in handing over any competitive edge before the season even begins. It is the kind of early-week posture that tends to sharpen the edge around a division game, especially when two teams know each other well.
Harbaughs guarded approach comes as reports have also pointed to some pointed evaluations of quarterback Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo during camp. For Dallas, that only adds another layer to a game that already carries plenty of attention, with the Cowboys opening against a rival that appears intent on keeping every meaningful card close to the vest. The questions around how much the Giants are willing to reveal will wait until kickoff, and maybe well after it. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Have Found A Scary New Way To Use George Pickens
The Cowboys are already thinking ahead to 2026, and George Pickens is central to the plan. After a strong first season in Dallas, the wide receivers role could grow in ways that make the offense less predictable, with the team looking to move him around more and use him in different alignments instead of keeping him in one familiar spot.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wants the passing game to create more problems for defenses, and Pickens versatility could be a big part of that approach. Dallas is hoping that a more varied deployment, including more work in the slot, can build on a season in which Pickens piled up 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns and turn an already dangerous weapon into something even harder to track. [Read more 🡒]