Cowboys' dismal playoff history led some bettors to take Packers
The Dallas Cowboys’ stunning loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night didn’t just leave owner Jerry Jones feeling "floored" with what he called one of the organization's "most painful" playoff losses.
It also left Dallas’ bettors in a pretty bad spot.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
The Cowboys entered NFL Wild Card weekend the heavy favorites. Undefeated at home and averaging 30 points a game, Dallas seemed like a safe bet.
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Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito told Fox News Digital that almost 80% of all tickets wagered backed Dallas as the -7 favorites.
"With the visiting Packers being the youngest team in the league and a team that needed to win the last game of the season just to get into the playoffs, it seemed like a mismatch on paper. And that is clearly how the bettors felt as they backed the Cowboys straight, in parlays, teasers and on the money line more than any other game," Esposito said.
"They seemed to forget that the Cowboys had not been a playoff juggernaut of late, going just 2-4 with Dak Prescott at quarterback prior to yesterday."
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy talks to quarterback Dak Prescott (4) after an interception during the NFC Wild Card game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers on January 14, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Packers took an early lead in the 48-32 victory and Dallas was never able to recover.
"This was by far our biggest game of the weekend," Esposito added. "During the game, the crowd was rather quiet in the book, and after the game, the lines weren’t nearly as long cashing. Of course, that’s not always the case as the bettors did well on the Chiefs and Rams both covering. But for the make-or-break game of the weekend, the Cowboys clearly rode into the sunset with their saddlebags empty."
But not everyone was sold on the Cowboys.
"We did win on the Packers, but it wasn’t the windfall you might expect," Derek Wilkinson, SVP of Sports for DRF Sportsbook, told Fox News Digital.
Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage (26) reacts with teammates after scoring on an interception return on a pass by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the first half, Jan. 14, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
"The Packers are hot right now and the Cowboys are notorious for choking in the playoffs. A few of our customers realized that and made some sizable wagers on the Packers moneyline, which paid around 3-1. Those offset some of our winnings on the Cowboys side and teasers. Overall, we eked out a win for the weekend, but it was nothing to write home about."
The Cowboys have advanced to the playoffs in each of Mike McCarthy’s three seasons with the team. But they’ve failed to reach the NFC Championship Game in each of their last 13 playoff appearances since winning the Super Bowl in 1995.
Less than 24 hours after the loss, Jones spoke with the team to let them know that anything less than a championship is just not going to cut it.
"His message was we got to win," cornerback Jourdan Lewis said of Jones’ message, according to the team’s website. "It's the Dallas Cowboys. We had everything to win. We can't let this feeling keep going on, so it makes sense. I just feel like he wants to win right now. The urgency is now. It was always that on our shoulders. He made it clear that that was the point."
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
