National Football League

NFL odds: How Dak Prescott's injury impacted Dallas' Week 8 and 9 spreads

Updated Nov. 2, 2021 8:34 p.m. ET

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Death, taxes and the Dallas Cowboys keeping bettors and oddsmakers on their toes. These are life's guarantees. And when it comes to wagering on America's Team, quarterback Dak Prescott's health — or lack thereof — is keeping everyone on edge.

During the Cowboys' Week 6 matchup against the New England Patriots, Prescott appeared to have suffered an injury after the last play of the game. The overtime thriller in Gillette Stadium resulted in a 35-29 victory for the 'Boys in which they covered the 3.5-point spread. 

From a betting perspective, if you took Dallas, you had reason to celebrate. From a fan perspective, if you root for Dallas, you had reason to panic.

A year after suffering a gruesome, season-ending ankle injury, was Dak done in Dallas for a second consecutive year? 

Luckily, this latest injury was only a mild right calf strain that happened right before the Cowboys' Week 7 bye. Backup QB Cooper Rush suited up as the starter in Week 8 to give Prescott an extra week of rest. 

According to FOX Bet content integration specialist Jacob Blangsted-Barnor, the news that Rush was starting moved Dallas from being a favorite to an underdog.

"I think everyone early in the week thought Dak was good to go," the oddsmaker said. "Then after Friday's practice, the money and the market told us that there was information indicating that wouldn’t be the case."

With the craziness and uncertainty surrounding which QB would get the start, some books saw swings of up to seven points. 

Ultimately, at FOX Bet, Dallas ended up being a 3-point dog — largely because of Dak's injury — but they still got out of Minnesota with a win against the Vikings. 

"Money on the Minnesota Vikings and the markets moved us from Cowboys -1.5 to Vikings -3," Blangsted-Barnor said.

Rush's 325 passing yards and two touchdowns in his very first NFL start lifted the Lone Star state's favorite team to a W. 

Sportsbooks were thrilled with the Cowboys' victory. 

"After Sunday night, we were pretty happy as we had taken all that money on the Vikings," said the bookmaker.

It's not every day an undrafted QB makes his first start in four years and maintains his team's winning streak. So what were the oddsmakers thinking Sunday night after the thrill of the Rush? 

"As for Cooper, the win doesn't make that much of a difference to how we view him from a betting perspective," Blangsted-Barnor said. "He’s still far worse than Dak and so it’s not like we suddenly think he isn’t a drop-off."

And now, five days before the Cowboys kick off their Week 9 matchup, reports say the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be back in action against the Broncos. 

What does this mean for this week's odds? Our insider has thoughts on this, too.

FOX Bet opened their Dallas Cowboys-Denver Broncos line at Dallas -7 once Sunday's game concluded. The line has since moved to Cowboys -10, indicating the star QB should be good to go come Sunday.

When it comes to how quickly books adjust their odds related to star players being out, Blangsted-Barnor suggests it's a mix of money, market, and information.

"For this week, everyone is expecting Dak to play, but people thought that last week, too. There’s always a small bit of hesitance that he might not. Currently, I think the line is pretty close to if Prescott is expected to play."

Quarterbacks are the one position that causes the most movement in spreads. If Dallas' odds shift noticeably toward the end of this week, that probably indicates Dak is out for Week 9.

So are you waiting until closer to kickoff to wager on the Cowboys to cover against the Broncos? Or are you all-in on Dallas to take care of business, with or without Prescott?

Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!

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