Giants vs. Cowboys Total Prediction
A pair of NFC East rivals meet in Dallas on Sunday night when the Cowboys host the New York Giants at 8:20 p.m. ET. Will the two teams struggle to score like they did a week ago in their respective defeats?
Game Snapshot
287 New York Giants at 288 Dallas Cowboys
8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 16
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Cowboys are 3-point favorites to beat the Giants. The total, meanwhile, sits at 42.5 points. As of this writing, 63% of the public betting tickets are on the Giants to cover the point spread.
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley rushed 18 times for 106 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Jaguars. He added two catches for 22 yards on six targets. The rookie had absolutely nowhere to run for most of this game, gaining just 37 yards on his first 16 carries. He showed why he was the No. 2 overall pick on the 17th. He broke a tackle in the hole, broke another to bounce it outside, beat everyone to the corner, and then sprinted down the sideline for a 68-yard touchdown. Barkley could have some frustrating outings behind a questionable offensive line, but he has the ability to change a game in one play. He will hopefully be better utilized in the passing game next week – he did get going a bit in the screen game in the second half after not being targeted in the first – but he will be a solid RB1 against the Cowboys regardless.
Dallas Cowboys
Updating an earlier report, Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence (groin) returned to a full practice on Thursday. That puts him on track to play Sunday night against the Giants. Lawrence was the Cowboys’ top pass-rusher a year ago, leading the team with a career-high 14.5 sacks over 701 defensive snaps. He recorded one sack in last week’s opener at Carolina.
NFL Betting Trends
New York
The under is 4-1 in the Giants’ last five road games.
Dallas
The under is 5-0 in the Cowboys’ last five games overall.
Prediction
The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams and it should be five straight by the end of Sunday night. With a banged-up offensive line and no outside weapons, the Cowboys averaged just 4.1 yards per play last Sunday against the Panthers. The Giants had their hands full with an outstanding Jaguars defense but still only generated 5.2 yards per play themselves. I don’t trust Dallas to move the ball enough to contribute to the over.
NFL Week 2 Prediction: Giants/Cowboys under 42.5
