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Cowboys vs. Ravens Opening Odds Highlight Mike McCarthy's Precarious Position in Week 3

Mike McCarthy will be firmly on the hot seat if the Cowboys vs. Ravens' NFL Week 3 odds are any indication.

By Jason Schandl

Aug 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike Mccarthy before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Aug 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike Mccarthy before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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Mike McCarthy's miraculous ability to avoid Jerry Jones' wrath can't last forever. With Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb getting massive new contracts and Jones seeming to believe that he did follow through on his "all-in" claims this offseason, a deep playoff run has to be the minimum expectations.

And after Sunday's embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints, McCarthy is making it increasingly clear that he might not be capable of carrying the Cowboys that deep.

FanDuel Sportsbook has released odds for the Cowboys' next game (a Week 3 clash with the Baltimore Ravens), and this reinforces the idea that McCarthy is going to be on the hot seat.

Cowboys vs. Ravens Week 3 Odds: Moneyline, Spread & Over/Under

Spread: BAL -1.5 (-104) | DAL +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: BAL (-112) | DAL (-104)
Total: 49.5 — Over (-105) | Under (-115)

The Cowboys are only very slight underdogs here, but when you factor in that home-field advantage is usually worth a couple of points, this paints an ugly picture. This is suggesting that, on a neutral site, the 0-2 Ravens are considered probably about a field goal favorite over Dallas.

The Ravens are obviously better than their 0-2 record might indicate, but is anyone really itching to make excuses for McCarthy at this point?

A win over a Cleveland Browns team that looks like they belong in the bottom half of the NFL followed by an embarrassing blowout loss to the Saints has been a terrible look for McCarthy. And that's after many were baffled that he got another in 2024 at all.

We can expect calls for his job to get much louder if the Cowboys fall to 1-2 at home. And after that it's just three more games before the Cowboys' bye week — when replacing McCarthy would be most realistic.

Those three games are against the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. Those first two should be very winnable, but blowing either one could be the nail in the coffin. If Dallas is 2-4 enteirng their bye, don't expect McCarthy to still be on the sidelines when they travel to San Francisco in Week 8.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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