Sorry, Cooper Rush: NFL Bettors Still Lack Confidence In Cowboys

Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys might have saved their season with a Week 2 victory as starting winless through two weeks hasn’t proved a successful strategy for teams with playoff aspirations.

But while Mike McCarthy’s team and its fans might be riding a one-week high after an abysmal season opener, defeating Joe Burrow and the 7-point favorite Cincinnati Bengals hasn’t caused bettors to change their tune. Dallas still represents the second-most tickets to miss the NFL playoffs behind only the Cleveland Browns and barely in front of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Of note, 79% of the current handle at BetMGM and 73% of the tickets are on the Cowboys to miss the postseason.

Oddsmakers, however, have shifted prices a bit with Dallas now back to .500. The Cowboys’ Week 2 victory caused them to move from -350 to miss the postseason to -185. Dallas opened the season +175 to miss the playoffs, proving it’s been a bit of a roller coaster through two weeks.

One key worth paying attention to for the Cowboys relates to how their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles continue to fare. Jalen Hurts and company have been one of the league’s most noteworthy storylines through two weeks. They look like not only a legitimate contender to win the division but a team scary enough to make a run. Bettors seem to like Philadelphia’s chances much better than Dallas given the Eagles have 94% of the handle and 85% of bets to make the postseason with their prices shifting from +120 to -600 in the two weeks.

Rush and the Cowboys are a 1-point road dog entering Week 3 against the New York Giants on “Monday Night Football.”