Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Futures Dip, QB Dak Prescott Out 6-8 Weeks

Posted on: September 14, 2022, 03:06h. 

Last updated on: September 15, 2022, 12:47h.

Pauly McGuire Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The Dallas Cowboys have seen their Super Bowl 57 futures plummet after losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury in the first game of the season. Prescott is out for at least six weeks while he recovers from surgery on a fractured bone near the thumb on his throwing hand.

Dak Prescott Thumb Injury Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, seen here, attempts a pass over linebacker Shaquil Barrett from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prescott fractured his right hand on the freak play and could miss half of the season. (Image: USA Today Sports)

Prescott’s injury occurred in the fourth quarter during an opening week 19-3 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prescott’s hand clipped the helmet of linebacker Shaquil Barrett during a pass attempt. He headed to the locker room to get checked out by medical staff and didn’t return to the game.

Before the season began, the Cowboys were +2200 odds to win Super Bowl 57, according to DraftKings. After the Cowboys lost to the Bucs in Week 1 and announced that Prescott could miss up to eight games, their Super Bowl futures slipped to +4000 odds.

For a second time in the last three seasons, Prescott incurred a bad beat in the injury department. In 2020, Prescott suffered a gnarly broken ankle in Week 5. He missed the remainder of the 2020 season but returned to the Cowboys at the start of the 2021 season.

Prescott’s Injury Makes Cooper Rush Next Man Up

Team doctors diagnosed Prescott with an extra-articular fracture on his right hand. A surgeon installed a plate to stabilize the injury.

“It’s very disappointing, but injuries happen,” said Prescott. “Can’t necessarily control it. Obviously going to miss some time, not be there for my team. And that’s what hurts more than anything.”

The Cowboys have a scheduled bye in Week 9, so fans expect Prescott to return in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers.

Team owner Jerry Jones sounded extremely optimistic during an interview with local Dallas sports radio.

Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball pretty quick,” said Jones. “If we thought he wasn’t going to be ready to go until after four games, we would put him on IR. We’re not doing that. We think he can come in and play. We’ll see how he handles this thing, how it heals, mainly his strength, how he can grip the ball.”

When Prescott went down against the Bucs, backup quarterback Cooper Rush came off the bench to replace him. Rush completed 7-of-13 passes for 64 yards.

The Cowboys have tapped Rush to start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Oddsmakers installed the Cowboys as a +7.5 underdog.

Rush, a fifth-year player out of Central Michigan, went 1-0 last season in his only career start with the Cowboys. He tossed two touchdowns in a 20-16 victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Halloween.

Eagles New Betting Favorite in NFC East

The NFC East was widely considered one of the weakest divisions in the NFL over the last few seasons, even though the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles qualified for the playoffs last season.

The Cowboys won the NFC East crown last year and entered this season as a slight favorite, at +135 odds, to win back-to-back division titles.

After the Prescott injury, the Cowboys instantly became the long shot to win the division at +650 odds, according to DraftKings.

The Eagles saw their NFC East odds jump from +165 to -150 as the new consensus favorite. The Eagles edged out the Detroit Lions in Week 1 to start the season 1-0. They last won the division in 2019.

The New York Giants, fresh off a stunning Week 1 upset over the Tennessee Titans, are second on the betting board at +400 odds to win the NFC East. The Washington Commanders held off the Jacksonville Jaguars to win their Week 1 matchup. The Commanders hold steady at +500 odds to win the division.