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In a surprise update, the Dallas Cowboys are being considered the favorites by Oddschecker to trade for one of the NFL’s most dynamic young quarterbacks.
Kyler Murray has been dazzling NFL fans as quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals since he was taken first overall in the 2019 NFL draft. However, an April 14 report from the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said that it was expected that Murray wouldn’t play for Arizona in 2022 without a contract extension.
Of course, sportsbooks have taken notice of the new speculation surrounding Murray. Now, Oddschecker revealed on April 14 that the Cowboys are the current favorites to trade for Murray this offseason.
Steelernation.com secured a quote from Oddschecker spokesman Kyle Newman, who offered his thoughts on why oddsmakers are labeling Dallas as the favorite.
“One of these teams is not like the others. The Cowboys trade for a QB? Well, after Dak Prescott failed to win a playoff game last year, oddsmakers believe there’s a chance the team chooses to move on. Of course, it certainly helps that Murray is a Texas native. That said, there’s a reason oddsmakers are giving The Field +1000 odds right now, nobody has any clue what a Kyler Murray trade market could eventually look like. Other than the fact oddsmakers believe the Cowboys are going to be in the thick of it.”
Of course, this is just the perspective of the oddsmakers, not concrete reports or evidence linking Murray to the Cowboys. However, favorites are favorites for a reason, even if it’s only an 11.1% chance.
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Breaking Down the Cowboys’ Odds
The odds shared alongside Newman’s statement read as follows:
| Team | Odds | Implied chance |
| Arizona Cardinals | -500 | 83.3% |
| Dallas Cowboys | +800 | 11.1% |
| Atlanta Falcons | +1000 | 9.1% |
| The Field | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +2200 | 4.3% |
| Houston Texans | +3000 | 3.2% |
Essentially, the Cardinals are still expected to retain Murray in 2022. However, the odds and Pelissero’s report give the Cowboys a real chance to acquire Murray, a former Oklahoma Sooner and Texas A&M Aggie.
The Cowboys could have the edge in a potential race for Murray if the relationship between the team and quarterback Dak Prescott sours, but that seems unlikely given that Prescott arguably is coming off the strongest season of his six-year career, one in which he was runner-up in Comeback Player of the Year voting.
Playing for the Cowboys would be a homecoming of sorts for Murray, who is from Allen, Texas. But as nice as that story is, it’s simply a sweet-sounding narrative.
Comparing Prescott and Murray
Prescott has been making waves in the league since his rookie year in 2016, going to two Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2018. He missed much of 2020 due to injury, but the quarterback has an impressive record when you look at averages on Pro Football Reference.
Prescott is throwing a touchdown 4.9% of the time, while throwing a pick just 1.7% of the time. Conversely, Kyler has a 4.4% percentage for touchdowns and 2.2% in interceptions. Prescott also has Murray beat in other passing stats, with Prescott boasting 259.8 yards per game and 1.68 TDs per game to Murray’s 249.6 yards per game and 1.52 TDs per game.
Besides the averages leaning in Prescott’s favor, he also can claim he had a much better year in 2021. The Cowboys quarterback threw for 4,449 passing yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, while Murray put up 3,787 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
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