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Cowboys Super Bowl 53 Odds Fade After Being Shutout by Colts

Matt McEwan

by Matt McEwan in NFL Football

Updated Mar 30, 2020 · 6:04 PM PDT

Ezekiel Elliott Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys taking the field
The Dallas Cowboys saw their five-game winning streak snapped in Week 15 at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Photo by Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC License]
  • The Dallas Cowboys entered Week 15 as a top seven Super Bowl 53 contender
  • Cowboys were shutout 23-0 by the Colts on Sunday
  • See how much the loss affected their odds to win the Super Bowl

Entering Week 15, there wasn’t a hotter team in the NFL than the Dallas Cowboys.

Winners of five straight, including a huge 13-10 win over the seemingly unbeatable New Orleans Saints in Week 13, the Cowboys had seen their odds to win Super Bowl 53 improve dramatically from the conclusion of Week 9.

Dallas’ average odds to win the Super Bowl were as long as +11900 on November 6th, only to see them shorten all the way to +1900 entering Week 15 – the seventh-best odds in the NFL.

But after being shutout by the Indianapolis Colts on the road this Sunday, they are now seeing average odds of +2800 to win the Super Bowl, allowing two teams to leap them on the odds board.

And they’re even tied for ninth with the Baltimore Ravens.

Super Bowl 53 Odds

Team Odds
New Orleans Saints +260
Los Angeles Rams +425
Kansas City Chiefs +550
New England Patriots +700
Los Angeles Chargers +750
Chicago Bears +800
Houston Texans +1800
Pittsburgh Steelers +1800
Dallas Cowboys +2700
Baltimore Ravens +2700

*Odds taken 12/18/18

The Cowboys now reside among the outside contenders, alongside the Ravens and Vikings.

Are the Cowboys Legitimate Contenders?

In a conference that contains arguably the top two teams in the league in the Saints and Rams, other NFC teams have had an awfully tough time being recognized by online sports betting sites.

Just ask the Bears.

But the Cowboys are now right where they belong.

Their five-game winning streak only contained one win over a team who is currently above .500, and each game was decided by eight points or less.

A Week 15 meeting with the Colts reminded everyone of the 3-5 Cowboys team we saw earlier this season, though.

This is a Dallas team who still …

  • struggles on the road (2-5 SU on the road this season)
  • sees too many drives stall out in the red zone (44.2% red zone TD percentage this season – 31st)
  • and has a really hard time playing from behind or when placed in obvious passing situations

These are not the traits of a championship team, especially one who is going to have to take to the road in the playoffs, and would potentially have to deal with two offenses (Saints and Rams) who can put points on the board at will.

Where is the Value in the NFC?

With both the Rams and Saints showing signs of slowing down, and possibly peaking too early, there is value elsewhere.

But it doesn’t lie with the Cowboys.

Sportsbooks are still sleeping on the Chicago Bears. Their average odds across all our online sports betting sites are +990.

The Bears may only be third in the NFL in points and yards allowed, but they are the most dominant defense in the league. They have forced a whopping 35 turnovers, the most in the league, and have no glaring holes.

Throw in a very creative head coach who is making the most out of QB Mitchell Trubisky, and this is a team who really reminds me of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

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