Following Tyron Smith's injury late Wednesday night, just weeks ahead of the 2022 NFL season, it is officially safe to say the Cowboys are trending the wrong way.
Smith's hamstring ailment puts the Cowboys' best offensive lineman on the shelf for multiple months — and perhaps the team's season in jeopardy.
Amari Cooper's gone, Michael Gallup's still recovering from injury and now the offense loses PFF's second-highest graded tackle from last season.
Smith's injury admittedly warranted some moves in the betting markets, including for Week 1 against the Buccaneers.
Also, we'll analyze Smith's impact to our offensive line rankings.
Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Week 1 Odds
Dallas is anywhere from +1 to +2 for the home opener vs. Tampa Bay, depending on the shop (you can browse NFL Week 1 and more odds here).
WynnBet, Caesars and DraftKings all bumped the line from Cowboys +1 to +1.5 either Wednesday night or Thursday morning following the Smith injury.
The total, meanwhile, is cratering.
It opened at 52 and has dipped as low as 49.5; the 2.5-point move is currently tied for the biggest of any Week 1 over/under, along with Philly-Detroit.
The Buccaneers have struggled fielding a stable offensive line ahead of the regular season, and now the Cowboys join the club.
Caesars was just one of a handful of books to drop the Cowboys-Bucs total from 50.5 to 50 late Wednesday night as a result of Smith going down.
NFC East Odds
Dallas is still the favorite to win the division at every single book in our trackers. The gap in value is marginal, as the Cowboys are priced between +130 and +140.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are nipping at the Cowboys' heels, and made the necessary off-season moves to usurp their rival for the division crown.
Philly's anywhere from +150 to +170, while both the Commanders and Giants own consensus prices of +550 and +800, respectively.
Cowboys Offensive Line Rank
Our own Brandon Anderson ranked all 32 offensive lines earlier this week.
To call the Smith injury a blow would be an understatement. Here's Anderson's latest update:
"The Cowboys came in No. 6 in my Offensive Line rankings under Tier II, nervously labeled 'As Good As Anyone… Pending Health.' Well, disaster has struck.
"It's not just that Smith will miss several months, something Dallas is used to from the last couple seasons; the trickle-down effect is the real problem.
"Remember, the Cowboys also saw Connor Williams and La'el Collins leave this offseason, so some of those names that were filling in for Smith or Collins last year are now full-time starters, and the next inevitable injury will be even more dangerous.
"Dallas dropped from 4.8 to 4.2 YPA rushing and from 0.13 to 0.03 EPA per dropback without their stud LT last year. Smith is one of the five most important players on this roster.
"I was fading Dallas even before this news and have been playing Philadelphia division odds all offseason. This is the nail in the coffin and cements the Cowboys as a wildcard-at-best team for me."
