Chris Boline
This time of the year, Dallas Cowboys supporters out there are always fired up to see what this team will be able to do in the postseason. Having said that, the team missed out on things last year. Now, though, Texas sports fans are betting on the Cowboys to move on in the playoffs. What will need to happen for that to go down this upcoming weekend? Well, Dallas will need to take care of business vs. the 49ers.
This is going to be a highly-contested matchup that has high Texas sports betting interests, as Dak Prescott is going to try and power Dallas to a win. Having said that, Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers will be ready to try and pull off an upset. As you might have been able to guess, the Cowboys are favored in NFL playoff odds, but the 49ers aren’t worried. Dallas is confident, though.
“I know how special of a team we have and I know how special of a moment this is. I’ve been in the league long enough to know how fleeting it is, as well,” star Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper said. “So I think that’s just me wanting to make sure we take full advantage of this moment and I feel like I’m a huge part of that.”
Cooper indeed is a massive part of the Dallas offense, as he’s the No. 1 receiver on this team for Prescott to throw too. On top of that, guys like CeeDee Lamb, Cedric Wilson, Daulton Schultz and others will be ready to make plenty of plays as well. With Dallas favored, they sure have a good chance to move on to the Divisional Round. We’ll find out soon enough if they’ll be able to get that job done.
You know the drill, #CowboysNation❕See y'all Sunday❕#SFvsDAL | @BankofAmerica pic.twitter.com/sxeKCxt5GC
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 10, 2022
Local Cowboys fans still can’t make legal bets on the team in Texas
What’s important to remember here, though, is that local Cowboys fans still can’t make legal bets on the team in Texas. Instead, they’ll have to head to outside areas in order to get that done. Obviously, Las Vegas sports betting is where Texas folks take advantage of things. With that said, the hope is that by the time next year, there will be a change in things for Texas and people can finally bet on sports.
The frustration continues to grow that Texas hasn’t legalized sports betting. While there was promise last year, things didn’t move in the right direction. Now, people are going to have to wait until 2023 at the earliest for things to cross the line. Having said that, countless folks are pushing for this to go down, including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and many others.
“A lot of people who have an interest in expanding gambling in Texas are also big-money donors to statewide politicians,” political writer R.G. Ratcliffe told sportshandle.com. “But it didn’t happen when Jose Straus was Speaker [of the House] and his family had a longtime role in horse racing. So it’s hard to see anything happening on that front, short of a paradigm shift in the political atmosphere.”
Ratcliffe went on to say that he’s got strong belief that some good news will be coming in once 2023 arrives. Sports betting being legalized is something people all over the Lone Star State have been waiting for. It feels like only a matter of time before people come to their senses and push legislation. Once that does happen, people will be able to bet on the Cowboys, Mavs, Spurs and so much more in Texas.
Betting on sports wagering and more casino gambling in Texas? What are the odds?
Efforts to bring sports betting and expanded casino gambling fell flat during the past legislative session, but some proponents think 2023 could be the year. https://t.co/rhyKCHl1qf pic.twitter.com/DLzkg1hz9D
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram (@startelegram) January 9, 2022
Cowboys are underdogs to win the NFC this season
With all of that said, Dallas is expected to beat San Francisco once this weekend arrives. However, the Cowboys are underdogs to win the NFC this season, which of course would result in the team not getting itself back to the Super Bowl. There’s no question Dallas has the playmakers on both sides of the ball to potentially win the NFC, but multiple other teams holder better Super Bowl odds entering the playoffs.
At the top of the list has to be the Green Bay Packers. With Aaron Rodgers also in line to win MVP, the Packers are the No. 1 favorites to win the NFC. They hold the No. 1 seed too, which is only going to increase their chances of winning. On top of that, countless eyes are on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the NFC South team stunned so many people last winter and went on to win it all.
The team is led by QB Tom Brady. Despite being well into his 40s, Brady continues to look sensational and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. With the pressure on Brady, he’ll try and power the Bucs to another Super Bowl win. If he gets that job done this season, it will result in him taking home his eighth ring. The Cowboys will try and prevent that from happening, but the odds are against them.
