With Brees Sidelined, Cowboys & Packers Become Top-5 Super Bowl Contenders; Are Either Worth Betting?

• The average odds of the Green Bay Packers winning Super Bowl 54 improved from +1733 to +1400 in the past week
• The Dallas Cowboys (+1367 to +1000) also saw their Super Bowl 54 odds get better
• Are either of these NFC teams worth a wager to win the big game?

It’s been nearly a decade since the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl. It’s been nearly three decades since the Dallas Cowboys were Super Bowl champions.

Suddenly both of these traditional NFC powerhouses are back in vogue as serious contenders to win the big game.

The thumb injury that’s sidelining New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for the next 6-8 weeks is pumping life into the Super Bowl odds of both Dallas and Green Bay.

Super Bowl 54 Odds

Odds taken on 09/19/19. 

The 2-0 Packers saw their average Super Bowl odds improve from +1733 to +1400 over the past week. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl odds of the 2-0 Cowboys also perked up. Dallas dropped to +1000 after being at +1367.

The Packers and Cowboys replaced the Saints and Philadelphia Eagles among the top-five contenders.

Are The Pack Back?

If the Packers to go on to win Super Bowl 54, Matt LaFleur will be handed the trophy named after the last Green Bay head coach to begin his career 2-0.

It was some fellow named Vince Lombardi in 1959.

Lombardi started 3-0 in his debut season. LaFleur figures to as well. Green Bay has the struggling Denver Broncos at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The thing is, Lombardi’s first Packers team then lost five in a row and finished the season 7-5. No first-year Packers head coach – not Lombardi, not Mike Holmgren, not Mike McCarthy, not even Curly Lambeau – guided the team to a playoff spot.

The Green Bay Packers are the only 2-0 team in the NFL that has beaten two other 1-1 teams 🤫

📸@packers pic.twitter.com/Rta1XITl1s

— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) September 17, 2019

On the other hand, Green Bay has made the playoffs seven of the last eight times it started the season 2-0.

That includes 2010, when they finished 10-6 and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-15 in Super Bowl 45.

Reasons To Like Packers

Running back Aaron Jones racked up 116 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 23 carries in Green Bay’s Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

▪️ Career-high 23 carries
▪️ 116 rushing yards
▪️ 1 touchdown
▪️ 34 receiving yards @Showtyme_33's Week 2 highlights! #GoPackGo https://t.co/lY2dCjmRh7

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 18, 2019

The Packers are 2-0 even though quarterback Aaron Rodgers is just 23rd in the NFL in passing yardage (412). That speaks volumes about the balance in the Green Bay offense.

The Packers defense in 2018 generated a total of 15 turnovers, 3rd fewest in the NFL

Through the first two games of 2019, the Green Bay defense has created 5 turnovers, tied for 1st in the NFL

What a difference a year makes. pic.twitter.com/4UQeBI2Zts

— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) September 18, 2019

Defensively, the Packers have an NFL-high five takeaways. Last season, the Packers forced a meager 15 turnovers all season long.

Dak’s The Way They Like It

The Cowboys are also 2-0. Since the 2007 NFL season, teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs 55.1 percent of the time (54-of-98).

Two weeks in and @dak is on 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/S2aJZoxTKd

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 15, 2019

Dallas QB Dak Prescott is a big reason for the fast start. He shares the NFL lead in TD passes with seven. Prescott is also third in passing yardage (674), and first in passer rating (149.2) and yards per completion (10.9).

Are Cowboys For Real?

Dallas opened the season by burying a terrible New York Giants team, 35-17. Then the Cowboys dumped the pitiful Washington Redskins, 31-21.

The Cowboys play the Dolphins next week, meaning they’re likely to be 3-0. Which means we’ll have to hear their fans talking about “Super Bowl” when they haven’t played a real team yet. pic.twitter.com/Z0sO0Z5Tln

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) September 16, 2019

Next up? The woeful 0-2 Miami Dolphins, who’ve given up 102 points in two weeks. Then Dallas gets the Saints minus Brees.

In Week 5, the Packers come to Dallas. That should tell a tale of who’s a contender and who’s a pretender.

Pack It On Green Bay

The injury to Brees and the fact that no NFC Super Bowl loser has returned to the big game since the 1971 Cowboys puts the Saints and Los Angeles Rams on the outs.

MOOD 🔥#MINvsGB | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/NZhykyoVWt

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 15, 2019

The Packers have the inside track to the NFC North title. At these odds, they are worth a play.

Pick: Green Bay Packers (+1200)