The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2026 NFL season with better Super Bowl odds than they had seven months ago, but oddsmakers still have plenty of teams ahead of them.
Dallas is listed at +2500 to win Super Bowl 61, according to DraftKings odds. That puts the Cowboys 16th among all 32 NFL teams and eighth among NFC teams as they prepare for their Week 1 matchup with the New York Giants.
The Los Angeles Rams lead the field at +500, followed by the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens at +1000. In the NFC, Dallas also trails the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.
Those numbers leave the Cowboys in the middle of the Super Bowl field despite an offseason that brought major roster changes.
Cowboys Super Bowl Odds Have Been Moving in the Right Direction
Dallas may not rank among the preseason favorites, but its Super Bowl odds have improved considerably since February.
The Cowboys opened at +3500 following Seattle’s Super Bowl 60 victory. Their odds moved to +3000 after the initial wave of free agency in March, then improved again to +2500 following the NFL Draft.
CBS Sports tracked the same movement and noted increased confidence in Dallas elsewhere in the betting market. The Cowboys’ projected win total moved from 8.5 in February to 9.5, while their odds to win the NFC East stood at +184 as of Sept. 1. Dallas was also +1250 to win the NFC.
The Cowboys’ Super Bowl number has therefore improved by 1,000 points since the first odds were posted, even though they haven’t climbed past the teams sitting ahead of them in the NFC.
Dallas’ Revamped Defense Could Determine Whether the Odds Keep Improving
The biggest question surrounding Dallas entering the season is whether its defense can match an offense that produced 471 points during Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as head coach.
The Cowboys made several defensive moves during the offseason. They traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary, added safety Jalen Thompson, and used their two first-round draft picks on Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Based on these moves, the defense is key to Dallas’ outlook.
Dallas finished second in the NFL in yards per game offensively last season, according to CBS Sports, but ranked 30th defensively. No team surrendered more points or more yards per pass play, giving the remodeled defense a clear area to improve if the Cowboys are going to outperform their current futures odds.
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker will oversee the rebuilt unit after previously coaching under Vic Fangio in Denver and Philadelphia.
The Cowboys Face a Challenging Road to Super Bowl 61
Dallas’ schedule will provide plenty of opportunities to measure the team against several clubs currently favored to win Super Bowl 61.
The Cowboys face five of the seven NFC teams ranked ahead of them: the Rams, Seahawks, Eagles, 49ers and Packers. They also play AFC contenders Baltimore and Houston.
Dallas nevertheless enters the season with what is rated as the NFL’s 13th-easiest schedule based on its opponents’ records from 2025.
There is one reason to be cautious. Philadelphia in the NFC East and the strength of the NFC North and NFC West could be potential obstacles in the wild-card race.
The Cowboys get their first chance to change the conversation when they open the season against the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 13, at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. CT (8:20 p.m. ET) on NBC. Fans can also stream the Sunday Night Football ma
Dallas Cowboys Get Eye-Opening Super Bowl 61 Odds Update Ahead of Week 1 Matchup