On Sunday, September 13, the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys in 2026’s first Sunday Night Football game. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds, picks, and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 1 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Cowboys vs. Giants
When: Sunday, September 13 at 8:20 pm ET
Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Channel: NBC
Cowboys vs. Giants Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate as of Friday, September 11. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Cowboys -162, Giants +136
Spread: Cowboy -3 (-105), Giants +3 (-115)
Total: Over 48.5 (-105), Under 48.5 (-115)
Cowboys vs. Giants Analysis
I wrote up the NFC East for our VSiN NFL Betting Guide, and I quickly became a Dallas buyer and New York seller. I think the Cowboys have the potential to be one of the best teams in the conference, and I don’t exactly trust the Giants to stay healthy. However, heading into Week 1, I’m not feeling great about the Cowboys covering. Tyler Smith will miss this game with an injury, and Tyler Guyton will be playing injured. That makes it a little hard to trust the Dallas offensive line, and that’s especially true against a New York team that has added talent along the defensive line. MetLife Stadium should also be loud in John Harbaugh’s first game on the sidelines. I’ll also add that the Cowboys are a popular public favorite, which is always scary to back in a primetime game. So, while I do think Dallas can win this game, there’s no side for me here. Instead, I’m taking Over 47.5 points.
Last year, the Cowboys were third in the NFL in Yards Per Play (5.9). This is one of the most talented teams in the league, as Dak Prescott is a top-10 quarterback and gets to throw to the duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. This is one of the most explosive teams in the NFL, and I’m not sure the Giants secondary can contain these wideouts.
The Giants also happen to be capable of scoring whenever they’re healthy. One of the reasons I’m not high on this team is that I worry about Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo being able to avoid injuries. However, they’ll both be out there in Week 1, and it sure seems like Malik Nabers would like to join them. And while I do think the Cowboys have gotten better on defense, I don’t like avoiding certain matchups until I see what they look like. For now, this is still a Dallas team that finished 24th in the NFL in EPA/play allowed (0.160) last season.
This is also a head-to-head series that has leaned higher in scoring. Since the start of the 2022 season, the Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these division rivals. We also happened to see the ultimate shootout between these teams on September 14 last year, as Dallas emerged with a 40-37 victory in a wild game.
It just isn’t hard to imagine both of these offenses flying up and down the field. The Cowboy were 13-4 to the Over last season, while the Giants were 11-6 to the Over.
Cowboys vs. Giants Player Props
George Pickens Over 67.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
I love looking at our WR/CB Matchup Tool (powered by FantasyPoints) to find some strong options on the player prop market. Well, in this game, Pickens will primarily be working against Greg Newsome II, and his advantage of 1.27 is one of the highest on the Week 1 slate. Last year, Newsome had a PFF coverage grade of 55.3, which put him 82nd of 109 players at his position. That said, Pickens, who averaged 84.1 receiving yards last year, really should come up big.
Cowboys vs. Giants Pick
If you can stomach a moneyline price with the Cowboys, I wouldn’t necessarily hate going that way. However, as it stands, I’m playing the Over at 47.5 and Pickens to go Over 67.5 receiving yards. This game has shootout written all over it, and Pickens should get his in a high-scoring game.
Bet: Over 47.5 (-113) & Pickens Over 67.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
