When the Cowboys (1-1) travel to face the Giants (2-0) on “Monday Night Football,” they will be looking to get back into the NFC East race without Dak Prescott. Dallas is coming off an upset win over Cincinnati at home, while New York has won close affairs with Tennessee and Carolina.
Saquon Barkley and the defense have fueled the Giants with quarterback Daniel Jones still struggling in the new offense of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka. Rush has provided a spark without Prescott, making do with replacement weapons stepping up.
Will the Giants stay hot and perfect? Or will the Cowboys continue to overachieve with their own running game and defense? Here’s a betting breakdown and prediction for the Week 3 “MNF” game:
Cowboys vs. Giants odds for ‘Monday Night Football’ game
- Spread: Giants -1
- Over/under: 39
- Moneyline: Cowboys -105, Giants -115
(Betting odds per Caesars Sportsbook)
The Giants have been slight favorites in a near-pick ’em game. They seem inflated because of their record while the Cowboys showed more value as a complete team in Week 2. The total reflects not trusting Rush and Jones.
Cowboys vs. Giants all-time series
The Cowboys have dominated the division rivalry with a 71-47-2 mark. They have won two in a row, four of five and nine of 10. The Giants last won three in a row from 2015-16.
Three trends to know
— Only 53 percent of spread bettors like the Giants to take care of business in essentially a straight-up pick.
— 56 percent of total bettors are on the over with the very low number.
— The Giants were 6-11 against the spread last season. They’ve started 2-0 ATS in 2022. The Cowboys were 13-5 against the spread last season (including the playoffs) and have started this year 1-1 ATS.
Three things to watch
Slowing down Saquon
The Giants’ feature back is healthy again. He exploded in Week 1 to burn the Titans but cooled off against a suspect Panthers run defense in Week 2. The Cowboys can be gashed; the key for them will be stopping the chunk gains where Barkley can use his speed in the open field.
Rush to judgment?
There’s no doubt Rush is a downgrade from Prescott, but he’s been competent in making the passes he needs and spreading the ball around. He is 2-0 as a starter replacing Prescott the past two seasons and will carry confidence on the road.
No Jones about it?
Jones did not play that well in the Giants’ two wins. His 99.4 passer rating is inflated by facing two questionable defenses; he has averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt. He has only thrown one interception, so that’s a win. The Cowboys will try to rattle Jones and stop Barkley with plenty of Micah Parsons.
Stats that matter
119.5 vs. 120.5. The first number is the rushing yards the Giants are giving up per game. The second number is the rushing yards the Cowboys are giving up per game. The team that is most effective running the ball — New York with Barkley or Dallas with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard — should win the game.
Cowboys vs. Giants prediction
The Cowboys have the more dangerous and active defense. They also should have more success with Rush being careful with the ball and waking up the rushing attack with Elliott and Pollard. They will steal another game by forcing key takeaways.
Cowboys 24, Giants 23
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