New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys 2019: Prediction Against The Spread, Betting Odds For NFL Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the biggest favorites in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL regular season when they host the New York Giants Sunday afternoon. The defending NFC East champions are likely to pull out the victory, but there is value on the visiting underdogs.

Dallas is laying seven points at home, according to the latest betting line at OddsShark. The point spread might move north of a touchdown if Ezekiel Elliott finally reports to the Cowboys, which appears likely amid reports that the running back is on the verge of signing a new contract. The game total is 45.5.

It’s no surprise that only one team is a bigger favorite than Dallas on the year’s first NFL Sunday. The Cowboys are thought to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender following three straight winning seasons. The Giants are widely predicted to be among the NFC’s worst teams after going 8-24 combined in 2017 and 2018.

The Giants were mocked throughout the offseason, first for trading Odell Beckham Jr. and then for taking quarterback Daniel Jones with the No.6 overall pick in the draft. It didn’t help that Golden Tate, Beckham’s replacement at wide receiver, was suspended for the first four games of the season because he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

New York is unlikely to be a playoff contender in 2019. That doesn’t mean they are the disaster that they’ve been made out to be for much of the summer, and it’s a narrative that has contributed to the Giants being named such heavy underdogs.

Don’t expect the Cowboys to play one of their best games in Sunday’s opener. The team is banged up all over the field, in addition to having been without their best player for the entire preseason.

Let’s assume Elliott suits up in the opener: what kind of performance can you expect from the running back on the heels of his month-long stay in Cabo?

Le’Veon Bell was in a similar situation two years ago when he played in the opener after holding out for all of training camp. Bell had 10 rushes for 32 yards and just 15 yards on six receptions in his 2017 debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Elliott could get off to a slow start, as well.

The list of key Cowboys that missed the preseason due to injury is a long one. It includes left tackle Tyron Smith, right guard Zack Martin and wide receiver Amari Cooper. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence hasn’t played in a game since undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum. Defensive end Tyrone Crawford spent most of training camp on the PUP list. Cornerback Byron Jones has only been off the PUP list for a week because of hip surgery.

Each one of those Cowboys is expected to play against the Giants. Don’t expect all of them to be in mid-season form.

The Giants are not the Miami Dolphins. They are better than teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals that could be in the running for the top overall pick in the 2020 draft. New York can test contenders that aren’t playing their best.

The Cowboys beat the Giants 20-13 in Week 2 of last season at AT&T Stadium. Dallas was dominant up front, sacking Eli Manning six times and giving Saquon Barkley no room to breathe. The running back had 28 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Things could be very different in that respect Sunday. New York’s offensive line has a chance to be much improved from a year ago with the addition of right guard Kevin Zeitler and the development of left guard Will Hernandez. Dallas might generate little pressure from a defensive line that dealt with injuries in the preseason and will be without the suspended Robert Quinn.

Barkley, wide receiver Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram give the Giants capable playmakers. New York scored at least 27 points in four of their final five games last season when Beckham was sidelined with an injury.

Pulling off the outright upset will be difficult for the Giants. New York’s defense is filled with below-average players. Dak Prescott will find a way to get the Cowboys into the end zone a few times.

Expecting this NFC East matchup to be a blowout is a mistake. The Cowboys have beaten the Giants by more than a touchdown just twice in their last nine meetings. In five Week 1 matchups with the Giants under Jason Garrett, Dallas has beaten New York by more than a touchdown once.

The Cowboys might be one of the NFC’s top teams in a few months. They just won’t look like it Sunday against the Giants.

Prediction Against The Spread: Dallas over New York, 27-24