The Giants won the NFC East in 2011 at 9-7.
The Giants won the NFC East in 2011 at 9-7. Reuters

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are set to square off on Wednesday night in the 2012 NFL season opener.

The contest is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC. If you can't get to a TV, you can watch a live stream online by clicking here.

The Giants begin the defense of their Super Bowl title against the team they beat twice in 2011. New York defeated Dallas in the final game of last season to win the NFC East.

The biggest matchup might be between the Giants defensive front and the Cowboys offensive line. New York has probably the best defensive line, anchored by Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. They dominated both contests against Dallas last year, sacking Tony Romo six times in the finale.

Dallas hasn't had much consistency on the offensive line. They traded for offensive lineman Ryan Cook after suffering multiple injuries.

New York's secondary is not nearly as strong as its front seven. Michael Coe will start at cornerback in place of an injured Prince Amukamara. The Giants defensive backs might not have to worry about Jason Witten. He's a game-time decision with a spleen injury.

Wide receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are both probable to take the field.

The Cowboys will have the tough task of stopping Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Nicks will play, despite missing three preseason games with a broken foot.

Martellus Bennett will see time for the Giants against his former team. The tight end recorded 144 receiving yards in 14 games for Dallas last season.

Eli Manning and the Giants are expected to open up the year with a victory. They are favored by 3.5 points at most sportsbooks.

Prediction: The Giants will have to put pressure on Romo to win the game. The quarterback has thrown for 21 touchdowns and six interceptions in his last eight games against New York. However, New York was able to withstand good games from Romo last season en route to two victories against Dallas, and should be able to put up enough points to start 2012 at 1-0.

Predicted Score: NY Giants 27, Dallas 20

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