New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys, 9/6/19 Week 1 Predictions

Giants vs. Cowboys Total Prediction

NFC East rivals the Giants and Cowboys clash in Dallas on Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET. What’s the best play for bettors when it comes to the over/under, which is sitting at 45.5?

Game Snapshot

475 New York Giants (+7.5) at 476 Dallas Cowboys (-7.5); O/U 45.5

425 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Public Betting Trends

According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Giants are receiving 59% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.

New York Giants Fantasy Spin

ESPN's Jordan Raanan reports the Giants are planning on Evan Engram "playing a massive role" this season. Per Raanan, the Giants' passing game is "expected to revolve around" Engram and Saquon Barkley, especially while Eli Manning is under center. Engram barely played this preseason, catching his lone summer target for a nine-yard gain, but Raanan admits the team kept Engram in "bubble wrap" in preparation for his huge year ahead. If he's able to stay healthy, Engram will have a serious shot to be this year's George Kittle as a major breakout candidate who should threaten 90 catches and 1,000-plus yards.

Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Spin

NFL Network's Jane Slater reports "the plan right now" is for Ezekiel Elliott to get 20-25 reps against the Giants Week 1. We assume "reps" means snaps, not touches, in Slater's report, as she mentions rookie Tony Pollard will work in behind Elliott, and FB Jamize Olawale could handle some third downs as a premier pass protector. In years past when players have returned from lengthy holdouts, there are always reports of teams slowly working the player back in, but that can always go by the wayside if the player looks to be in game shape. For now, we're still treating Elliott as an RB1 play in a mouthwatering Week 1 matchup. It would be easy to see him play far more than 20-25 snaps, which is less than half of a pro football game.

NFL Betting Trends

New York

The over is 5-1 in the Giants’ last six games versus NFC opponents and is 4-1 in their last five games overall.

Dallas

The over is 4-0 in the Cowboys’ last four divisional games and is 4-1 in their last five conference matchups.

Prediction

The over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams in Dallas but the under is 5-1 in the last six meetings. I like the under in this matchup on Sunday. With no Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants will lean even more on running back Saquon Barkley and limit the exposure of Eli Manning. The Giants have no choice, especially with issues again at both tackles. Meanwhile, the defense should be solid against the run, which obviously benefits them this weekend against Ezekiel Elliott. On the other side, Dallas has one of the more athletic front sevens in football and I don’t see how the Giants score enough to contribute to the over.

NFL Week 1 Prediction: Giants/Cowboys OVER 45.5