Sunday Night Football in Week 1 in the regular season is a showdown in the NFC East between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It’s a big one, and not just because they are heated division rivals. Both teams have — however realistic or unrealistic they might be — playoff aspirations in 2026.
Let’s dive into my Cowboys vs. Giants predictions.
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants odds
Money line: Cowboys -162 / Giants +136
Spread: Cowboys -3 (-105) / Giants +3 (-115)
Total: Over 48.5 (-105) / Under 48.5 (-115)
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants best bet #1: Cowboys -3 (-105)
If you throw out Week 18 of last season (Dak Prescott started at quarterback for Dallas, but Joe Milton played much of what was a meaningless game for both teams), Prescott is on a 12-game winning streak against the Giants. The Cowboys have simply owned this matchup of late, at least when QB1 has been on the field. There is no reason to think that the trend won’t continue. Sure, John Harbaugh is now the head coach in New York — but is he really going to turn this franchise around as quickly as year one, game one? Probably not!
That the Cowboys went 7-9-1 last season was no fault of the offense. Prescott passed for 4,552 yards — 1,429 of which went to Georgia Pickens in Pickens’ first year with his new team. The UGA product on one side and CeeDee Lamb on the other simply doesn’t seem like a fair fight for opposing defenses. Led by Javonte Williams, the running game also ranked eighth in the NFL in yards per carry. The Giants feature a strong front seven, but it’s hard to trust them until they actually rise to the occasion in this particular matchup with their biggest rival. On the other side of the ball, Dallas may have secured the steal of the 2026 NFL Draft in Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall. Other additions include linebacker Dee Winters, edge rusher Rashan Gary, cornerback Cobie Durant, safety Jalen Thompson, and defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia. Even if the G-Men improved their overall roster (and coaching staff), the ‘Boys remain the more complete team.
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants best player prop bet: Javonte Williams Over 69.5 rushing yards (-115)
New York was saddled with perhaps the worst rushing defense in the entire league last season. The Giants gave up the second-most rushing yards (145.3) on the highest yards-per-carry average (5.3). In Week 2 of the 2025 campaign against the G-Men, Williams had 18 carries for 97 yards and a TD.
The former UNC standout wrapped up the year with a 1,201 yards on 252 attempts, good for a 4.8 average. Even if the Giants’ defense has made some improvements, Williams should once again find success at their expense.
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