NFL Monday Night Football Week 3 Predictions: Giants vs Cowboys Predictions

Giants vs Cowboys Predictions – Recommended Bets

• Giants -1, -110 at Caesars  
• Under 39.5, -110 at FanDuel 
• Same game parlay: Giants to win & Under 39.5, +260 at FanDuel

New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys

Monday, September 26, 8:15 pm ET at the MetLife Stadium, on ABC and ESPN

Renewing an NFC East Rivalry

The race for the top of the NFC East standings heats up in NFL Week 3, as the undefeated New York Giants play host to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. 

The Giants are poised to open a season with three straight wins for the first time since 2009 after escaping with a narrow win for the second straight week, this time 19-16 over the visiting Carolina Panthers. The Cowboys rebounded nicely from the loss of Dak Prescott to injury in Week 1, with a 20-17 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday as seven-point underdogs. 

Given New York’s unusual position, it makes for some interesting considerations when making Giants vs Cowboys predictions.

Cowboys Succeeding Despite Themselves

For the second time in three seasons, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves scrambling to fill the void left under center by a significant injury to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys’ star quarterback went down with a hand injury in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers and is not expected to return until Week 4 at the earliest.

While little was expected of them in their Week 2 date with the reigning AFC champion Bengals, the ‘Boys rose to the occasion. Backup QB Cooper Rush guided the team to the end zone on a pair of lengthy drives to start the contest, while the defense took advantage of a sloppy performance by the Bengals offensive line to sack Cincy passer Joe Burrow six times. 

The Cowboys will likely face a more challenging test when they visit the Giants. Yes, Dallas has dominated the Giants recently, with wins in nine of the last ten meetings. However, this time, they face a New York attack led by Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley that has not faded in the face of early deficits and a defense that has been surprisingly effective at shutting down opposing offenses in crunch time. 

The Cowboys’ ability to shut down the Giants’ running game is of particular concern and influences our Giants vs Cowboys predictions. Dallas had no answer for Tampa’s Leonard Fournette, who ran for 127 yards on 21 carries in Week 1. And while the Cowboys held Cincy to just 89 rushing yards, it was critical runs by Joe Mixon that fueled the Bengals’ bid for a late comeback.

Barkley Resurgence Sparking Giants Offense

The Giants emerged as the NFL’s comeback kids in the season’s first two weeks. New York spotted Tennessee a 13-point lead before storming back to claim a 21-20 win in Week 1. Then, in Week 2, they erased an early seven-point deficit to defeat Carolina.  

The Giants have fueled their fast start with a combination of good fortune and steady play from their two biggest stars. The Week 1 comeback would have fallen short if the Titans hadn’t missed a field goal in the dying seconds. The Giants have also largely avoided the consequences of occasional sloppy play that resulted in 62 yards worth of penalties last week. 

Of course, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of Barkley’s resurgence this season. The Giants running back has piled up a league-high 236 rushing yards to go along with 46 receiving yards. Barkley has thus far only found the end zone once, but his steady performance has given Daniel Jones a vital offensive option to work with and is something to think about when making your Giants vs Cowboys predictions. 

Data taken from: pro-football-reference.com (Accurate as of 09/23/22)

However, before working any props into their Giants vs Cowboys predictions, bettors should take note of Barkley’s recent struggles against Dallas. In his last five appearances against the Cowboys, he’s averaged under 30 yards rushing per game. Barkley has also struggled in primetime, topping 67 rushing yards just once in nine appearances. 

The Bottom Line

While the Cowboys have emerged as attractive underdogs, getting excited about a Dallas team that has benefited more from opponents’ mistakes than from their strong play is hard. Yes, the Cowboys’ offensive line is well equipped to harass Jones. However, both Jones’ versatility and his ability to lean on Barkley will cause headaches for Dallas, which will once again struggle to sustain offensive pressure in the absence of their superstar quarterback. 

Therefore our Giants vs Cowboys prediction is to back the Giants to come out victors and follow up their January win against the Cowboys to make it two in a row. With Dak Prescott’s absence blunting the Cowboys’ offense, the Giants’ over-reliance on good fortune and a tendency for sloppy play, and Barkley traditionally finding the Cowboys a hard nut to crack, Under 39.5 at -110 with FanDuel looks a decent bet. And given our confidence in both of these bets, you could take advantage of FanDuel’s Giants vs Cowboys odds of +260 for the same game parlay.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the record between the Cowboys and the Giants? 

Entering the 2022 season, the Cowboys and Giants have played each other 120 times. The Cowboys have 71 wins, and the Giants have 47 wins with two ties. However, the Cowboys have won nine of the last 10 head-to-head meetings.

Who is better, Cowboys or Giants?

The Cowboys were viewed as the better team at the season start. However, looking at the Giants vs Cowboys odds, it’s clear that that perception has shifted, with the Giants starting the season 2-0 and the Cowboys losing quarterback Dak Prescott to injury for at least a month.

Conclusion

Monday Night Football brings us some great games, our MNF Predictions focus on the Giants vs Cowboys. Interested in more American football content? Be sure to read our guide: How To Bet on American Football or take a look at some of the best Football betting promos available. Visit our odds comparison tool to compare the latest odds. 

Written by Daniel Coyle.  

Daniel has written professionally about sports for two decades and covered the sports betting beat for the past nine years. He is an expert EPL, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and UFC writer.    

His work has featured in various newspapers, magazines, and online media, including the Montreal Gazette, Globe & Mail, Faceoff.com, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, NESN, Sportsnet, Featurd, SB Nation, Oilers Nation, and The Nation.