The Cowboys in Brian Schottenheimer's first season as head coach scored 471 points, a total in line with 2021-23 when they made the playoffs for three straight years. The issue was on defense, where for a second straight year the Cowboys fielded one of the worst stop units in the league. So Dallas went to work overhauling that unit this offseason, including trading for edge rusher Rashan Gary to help boost the pass rush in a post-Micah Parsons world, throwing $33 million at safety Jalen Thompson, and then fortifying both positions with their two first-round picks by adding Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence.
We're taking a look at everything you need to know before making Dallas Cowboys futures bets below, including odds, trends, 2026 schedule, offseason changes and more before sharing our preseason betting strategy for the team. Fans interested in betting on NFL and Super Bowl futures should check out the latest DraftKings promo code. We saw a bit of win total movement toward the Over over the summer, and then the market went into overdrive in August.
That seems warranted for the active offseason, including landing a potential steal at No. 11 overall in Downs. But in order for the drop in Super Bowl odds to be warranted, the defense is going to have to come together in a hurry while Dak Prescott and Co. chase another 500-point season. The Cowboys had just three losing seasons from 2005-23 (all three when starting quarterbacks Tony Romo and Dak Prescott played six games or fewer due to injury) before consecutive losing seasons the past two years, with only one to blame on a quarterback injury, as Prescott played eight games in 2024.
Trends say the Cowboys will more than likely have a dangerous offense, but success will be determined by the quality of the defense. If you want to wager on NFL futures, you have to check out the latest FanDuel promo code. The two units in Dallas were diametric opposites in 2025, with the offense finishing second in yards per game and the defense finishing 30th.
The offense finished top 10 in yards per play both rushing and passing, while the offensive line kept Prescott upright as the team finished sixth in sacks per pass attempt. Now the bad: No team gave up more points or more yards per pass play, while the defense also finished last in third down success rate. While there was a lot of player movement on defense, success may come down to new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who coached under Vic Fangio in both Denver and Philadelphia.
With defensive backs being his primary responsibility, Parker deserves credit for the success of the secondary in both stops, including quickly developing Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into key contributors for a Super Bowl winning team. That could mean big things for first-round pick Caleb Downs and even fourth-rounder Devin Moore, while free agent pickups Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant graded out above average per PFF last year. The Cowboys' ability to make a surprise run this year will depend on the unit coming together quickly and allowing the front seven to focus on stopping the run and getting after the opposing quarterback.
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