AMERICA’S STREAM: WHY VEGAS IS RIGHT ABOUT COWBOYS SCHEDULE RELEASE

As far as social media sensationalism goes, NFL teams go all-in on the league’s annual schedule release party. For 2025, America’s Team opted for a livestream with a trail of breadcrumbs that had our own Gavin Dawson eating up the betting line against an over/under of 7.5 wins.

Here’s how the Dallas Cowboys make Dawson good money.

NFC EAST CALAMITY. As much fun as it may be to tweak the most rational fanbase in the country, the Philadelphia Eagles have built and rebuilt one of the best rosters in the league. As frustrating as it has been to watch Deebo Samuel and Austin Ekeler disappear from fantasy darling status, Jayden Daniels wasn’t just 2024’s best rookie—he finished 7th in MVP voting for a Washington Commanders squad that appears poised to follow his precocious lead. And while the entire New York Giants staff may not see midseason, no one wants to catch Jameis Winston on a heater with eyes only for Malik Nabers.

(NJ Advance Media/Andrew Mills)

Dak Prescott may play plus-.800 ball against division rivals, but there’s a real chance he’s watching half of these games in a tracksuit. Fumbling to 2-4—or worse—here turns 2025 into tanking for Arch Manning.

NFC NORTH KNOCKDOWNS. It’s scary to think of a more-caffeinated Dan Campbell overflowing with any injury luck from the football gods on the Detroit Lions revenge tour. The Minnesota Vikings trade a quarterback who returned to seeing ghosts just in time to implode for a medical redshirt with the look of a franchise-maker; the knee injury that blew up J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season only served to raise expectations for both player and team coming off 14-3. No matter who’s running around for Jordan Love, Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers channel their poor-man’s-Kansas-City-Chiefs and just find a way to get the job done. Caleb Williams may have spent the offseason in Denmark, but the Chicago Bears rolled out a veritable smorgasbord of beef in one of the most aggressive offseasons in team history.

10 games accounted for and you’re suddenly struggling for a handful of victories.

AFC WEST SUPREMACY. Andy Reid has spent 12 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. 11 times, he’s won more than 10 games. 11 is also the lowest season win total in the Patrick Mahomes era. Even if this is the year they cede a little something to 2024 +100-point differential rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, that three-headed horse is going to spend 2025 jockeying for playoff pecking order. Translation: none can afford to get caught against the rail from week to week. Plus, Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith before handing Ashton Jeanty to paper-napkin wizard Chip Kelly.

Not a gimmie in the group.

THE REST FOR YOUR BEST. Any shot at eight wins for the 2025 Dallas Cowboys may become dependent on sweeping the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals. Maybe you’re not afraid of Justin Fields, Bryce Young, or Kyler Murray—but can you already feel your wallet getting lighter if they’re squaring off against Joe Milton instead of Dak Prescott?

A stumble here only magnifies everything in the gauntlet above. And that doesn’t account for compression: not getting their bye until Week 10, a historic 6-game run where every opponent was a 2024 playoff team (Weeks 12-17), four Thursday night games, Thanksgiving and Christmas day games, and playing both of last year’s Super Bowl combatants—including the hated Eagles to kick the whole thing off.

Vegas knows the odds are stacked against the 2025 Dallas Cowboys, even if Michael Irvin has them going 12-5 and we see a way to more than break even in this companion post from the How Bout Wow newsfeed..