Cowboys vs. Giants Predictions: Monday Night Football Picks (Week 3)

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons flexing during game
Image Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys rebounded from a loss (and the loss of Dak Prescott to a thumb injury) to spring an upset against the defending AFC champion Bengals in Week 2. Meanwhile, the Giants kept up their momentum from a Week 1 victory and moved to 2-0. The game is projected to be a low-scoring and close affair on Monday Night Football. Before offering our Cowboys vs. Giants predictions, we’ll walk you through the notable betting trends and pertinent info for each team.

Cowboys vs. Giants Predictions

For my Cowboys vs. Giants predictions, I’ll place these wagers at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Cowboys vs. Giants Odds

TeamSpreadMoneylineTotal
Bills -3 (-120)-165O 52 (-110)
@ Ravens+3 (+100)+140U 52 (-110)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11 pm ET on 9/25.

Game Info

  • Date: Monday, Sept. 22
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • Location: MetLife Stadium
  • TV: ESPN/ABC

Cowboys vs. Giants Trends

  • The Giants opened -149 on the moneyline at Betfred Sportsbook and moved to -115 by Sunday, Sept. 25.
  • The Giants are 10-22-1 against the spread in their last 33 home games.
  • The Giants are 3-7 against the spread in their previous 10 games following an against-the-spread win.
  • The Cowboys are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games.
  • The Cowboys are 20-7 against the spread in their last 27 games against NFC East opponents.

Big Blue Is Light On Playmakers

The Giants have scored only 40 points through two games. In addition, Daniel Jones has passed for a paltry 364 yards. The offense’s bright spot has been Saquon Barkley. He’s rumbled for 236 yards and added 46 receiving yards. Richie James and Sterling Shepard have also played moderately well.

Still, Pro Football Focus (PFF) has graded New York’s offense as the worst. They’ve also graded Big Blue 16th in pass blocking. So, New York’s mediocre pass blocking could be detrimental tonight.

Football Outsiders hasn’t been impressed by New York’s offense either. As a result, the Giants are 18th in total Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA). Football Outsiders also has the Giants’ offensive line 30th in Adjusted Sack Rate (12.6%).

Putting it all together, it’s somewhat head-scratching that the Giants are 2-0 despite those unimpressive numbers. Still, Big Blue was able to win a pair of close games (21-20 at Tennessee, 19-16 vs. Carolina) to start the season unblemished.

Dallas’s Defense Is Legit

Dallas’s defense is the most robust unit in this game. PFF grades the Cowboys seventh in total defense. They also grade them as the second-best pass-rushing team. The Cowboys’ elite pass rush has resulted in eight sacks across two games.

In addition, the Cowboys have been challenging to move the ball against. According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Cowboys have allowed the seventh-fewest yards per play (4.7). Football Outsiders is buying what the Cowboys are selling, ranking them sixth in total defense DVOA.

Cowboys vs. Giants Predictions

The Cowboys haven’t been good offensively. They’re 28th in yards per play (4.7), 28th in total DVOA on offense, and 30th in PFF offense grade. Fortunately, Big Blue’s defense is mediocre to worse, ranking 25th in PFF’s total defense grade and 20th in total defense DVOA. So, the Cowboys might be able to muster some offense despite the downgrade from Prescott to Cooper Rush at quarterback. 

The Giants will have a more difficult time against Dallas’s top-shelf defense, especially since it appears game-wrecker Micah Parsons will play.

Big Blue might be slightly better on offense than the Cooper Rush-led Cowboys. Nevertheless, the margin is small. Yet, Dallas’s defense is markedly better than New York’s. So, I’m backing the ‘Boys in what I expect to be an ugly game. Further, it’s tempting to bet the game’s under. Still, my favorite wager is the Cowboys moneyline.

Pick: Cowboys moneyline | -104 at DraftKings Sportsbook

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New to DraftKings? Get started with this strong welcome offer:

Bet $5 on any NFL moneyline and get $200 if the bet wins. 

Our favorite pick for this offer is Cowboys moneyline -104.