The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in 30 years. In fact, the closest they’ve come to returning to the NFL’s big game has been the seven times they’ve lost in the Divisional Round. However, all that is about to change, or at least that’s what ESPN’s betting experts say.
The Cowboys’ history has been one of disappointments over the past 30 years. Head coach Mike McCarthy managed three straight 12-5 seasons between 2021 and 2023 that did little to help the team, and last season they didn’t even advance to the postseason, finishing with a lackluster 7-10 record.
The team’s future looks even grimmer. With quarterback Dak Prescott battling injuries, linebacker Micah Parsons alone on defense, and receiver CeeDee Lamb shouldering the weight of the receiver room, there’s no way the Cowboys will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2026. Or is there?
Enter the ESPN analysts
Despite all the odds, analyst Joe Fortenbaugh is willing to bet that the team will win Super Bowl LX, but not for the reasons you might think. While the rest of us would bet on the team with the best odds, Fortenbaugh is part of a new breed of bettors who advocate the “value” of a bet.
According to them, the best bet is not the one that gives you the least profit but is the safest, or the one that is the riskiest but gives you the biggest profit, but the one that has the best “value.” The concept is so vague that it has different meanings to different analysts.
In Fortenbaugh’s case, the Cowboys are the “best bet,” even though their odds are +5000, meaning you’d win $5,000 on a $100 bet. But when it comes to longshots, the New York Giants offer $25,000 for a $100 bet.
The best odds for next season, according to ESPN Bet Sportsbook, are on the Ravens, Chiefs, and defending champion Eagles. They all offer +650, meaning you’d win $650 for every $100 you bet. The payoff is lower, but so is the risk.
Will the Cowboys Win Super Bowl LX?
Fortenbaugh’s ESPN colleague Seth Walder is betting they will. However, after placing his bet, he declared, “Do I think the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl next year? I do not.” This makes the concept of “value” in betting even more confusing, but it is what it is.
Fans of America’s Team might be confused, as might the rest of us mere mortals. But even if the Cowobys don’t win Super Bowl LX, the fans can take solace in the fact that their team is the “best bet,” whatever that means.
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