Rivalry betting spreads: How do the Cowboys compare to some of their biggest rivals?

The list of the Dallas Cowboys biggest rivals has been a changing conversation over the years. For a long time, the top answer was their NFC East brethren Washington. Dallas and Washington have played some all-time classic games in the NFL and in the day it was considered THE rivalry in the NFL (at least that’s what Dallas and Washington fans believed). Over the years, though, the significance of that rivalry waned as both teams went through some tough times when the wins were hard to come by. Lately, the Cowboys have been making it a one-sided series by dominating the last decade or so.

In fact, the rivalry has been drained of so much of its previous luster that is doesn’t even make these brand-new “head-to-head rivalry betting spreads” dreamed up by BetOnline. The concept is simple, they pair up teams that are rivals and create spreads based on how many games each team is predicted to win in 2019. Since it’s Revenge Week at SB Nation, and rivalries are almost always about getting revenge, we decided to check in on the BetOnline list.

Cowboys -3 wins vs. Giants

Dallas is a three-game favorite over the New York Giants, meaning they are favored to get three more wins than the Giants on the year. If the Cowboys go 10-6 and the Giants go 6-10, then Dallas covers the bet. The Giants being an NFC East rival, and a team that the Cowboys have opened many season against recently, make the list as a rival.

Eagles -1 win vs. Cowboys

Next up, the Cowboys true nemesis in the NFC East in recent times, the Philadelphia Eagles. We noted how Philly is getting a little more love than Dallas lately, and that pattern continues here. The Cowboys are one-game underdogs to the Eagles. The return of Carson Wentz and the idea that no NFC East team seems to be able to win the division crown two years in a row has made the Eagles the chic pick in the East.

Steelers -1/2 win vs. Cowboys

Now for some old-school rivalries. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys have met three times in the Super Bowl, and have had some other very entertaining games including the Cowboys 35-30 win on the road in 2016 that sort of cemented that edition of the team as for real. This year, the Cowboys are half-game underdogs to the Steelers for wins.

Cowboys -1/2 win vs. 49ers

The rivalry with the 49ers goes way back, even past the great matchups of the early 90s which were some of the best games the NFL ever had. The Cowboys dominated the playoff games of the early 70s, then ‘The Catch’ happened in the 80s and the 49ers were ascendant. After the 90s, it’s been back and forth but people are believing in the 49ers this year and they end up only a half-game underdog to Dallas.

Given what happened in the late 60s, the mid 90s and recent history, there certainly could be a case made for adding the Packers to the Cowboys historical rival list. From the Ice Bowl to the Dez catch and Jared Cook catch, the flames burn bright between those two teams.

So, do you believe these odds? Are the Cowboys underrated or overrated? If you had to make a Cowboys rivals list, which teams would make it and in what order?