To cap what is sure to be an excellent Sunday of NFL football, we have the Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants as our Sunday Night fixture. Both of these storied franchises head into Week 2 off the back of an initial loss. Offenses led by both Dak Prescott and Eli Manning were made to look very anaemic last week, only managing 8 and 15 points respectively. In a league where you typically require 10 wins to reach the playoffs, the odds aren’t great for teams that start 0-2. As such, you can expect both teams to come out with a sense of urgency and desperation.
Where to Watch: ESPN, 7 Mate or NFL Game pass Monday at 10:20am AEST
Dallas Cowboys
One of the key talking points from Week 1 action was just how bad the strong Carolina Panthers defence made the Cowboys offense look. Young Quarterback Dak Prescott averaged under 6 yards per pass attempt last week, likely missing the recently released Dez Bryant. The usually stout Cowboys offensive line gave up a whopping 6 sacks last week and will need to perform better against a stout Giants defensive line. Undoubtedly the best way to get the offense going is to feed star Running Back Zeke Elliott, who got off to a solid start last week with 69 yards and a score.
All being considered, the Cowboys defence did quite a solid job last week against the Cam Newton led Panthers offense, holding them to just 16 points. They allowed only 161 yards through the air, in what was an impressive showing from their young secondary. However, they were simply gashed in the running game to the tune of 147 yards and two touchdowns conceded. This just won’t cut it against rookie phenom Saquon Barkley and the strong Giants running game. Pass rushing stud Demarcus Lawrence will need to be at his disruptive best to halt the Giants offense.
New York Giants
The Giants offense really starts and ends with Odell Beckham Junior and the rookie Saquon Barkley. Beckham rebounded from injury last week with an impressive 11 catches for 111 yards, whilst the rookie Barkley registered over 125 yards from scrimmage and a Touchdown in his NFL debut. Quarterback Eli Manning will want to improve from his showing last week, where he averaged only 6.1 yards per attempt and threw an interception. That being said, the Jaguars defence is arguably the best in the NFL. I suspect they’ll have a bit more success this week and predict Saquon Barkley to be right at the centre of it.
The Giants defence helped up relatively well against the Jaguars offence last week. They allowed only 176 passing yards and controversial CB Janoris Jenkins managed an interception. A rushing defence that allowed 137 yards last week will need to tighten up against superstar Zeke Elliott. Similarly, a pass rushing unit that only registered 1 sack last week must be looking forward to going up against an underperforming Cowboys line that allowed 6. I believe that a strong defence featuring Alec Ogletree, Damon Harrison and star safety Landon Collins can win the matchup against this Cowboys offense.
Best Bets
Giants +3 $1.88
Despite narrowly losing last week, I believe the Giants put up a strong showing against a Jaguars team that came ever so close to the Super Bowl last year. Odell Beckham Junior and Saquon Barkley looked like men amongst boys and both put in over 100-yard performances against what most consider to be the NFL’s best defence. Similarly, the defence also held up against the strong Jaguars running game and only allowed 1 offensive Touchdown.
I believe this Cowboys offense really misses Dez Bryant and is in desperate need of a spark in the receiving game. Zeke Elliott will continue to produce, however even his impact will be limited behind an under-performing offensive line. I actually believe the Giants can win this game outright and have no qualms about taking them with the 3 points. As always with underdogs, feel free to bet some on the money line as well.
Total Over 42 $1.92
Given that both offenses only managed a combined 23 points last week, many of you were probably expecting an under here. However, I tend to view NFL betting similar to the price of shares. After a poor showing last week, the offenses of these two teams are undervalued and this line isn’t a fair reflection of their talent. Both Dak Prescott and Eli Manning are solid starting Quarterbacks; whilst Zeke Elliott, Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley (I’m calling it early) add star power to both sides.
Similarly, both the Jaguars and Panthers defences are stronger than what both teams will face this week. Both of those units are definitely balanced top 10 defences, whilst both the Cowboys and Giants units have weaknesses that can be exploited. I expect a bit of a bounce back from both Dak and Eli this week, which will likely be enough to go over the relatively paltry total of 42.
First Touchdown Scorer: Saquon Barkley at $8
Coming off a great start to his career, Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly an early front-runner for Rookie of the Year. He showed power, patience and explosiveness and I believe he can run wild against a week Cowboys running defence. He is clearly the lead back in this Giants offense and his incredible frame makes him a huge threat in the red-zone. His 68-yard touchdown against the Jaguars last week showed that he can also break long runs from anywhere.
Assuming he can stay healthy, I believe Saquon is a lock for double digit rushing touchdowns this year. The Giants offensive line has an edge over the Cowboys defensive line here and should open up some great holes for him. At the $8 price point, I think this bet represents great value.
Summary
I feel as though the Giants are very live underdogs here and can comfortably back them with this 3-point spread. Similarly, over 42 points represents very strong value. The total for Sunday Night Football is usually bet up closer to kick-off, so I would recommend jumping on this soon. To complement these bets, I also believe that Saquon Barkley for first touchdown scorer is a good value play at the current $8 price.
Best Bet: Giants -3
I think people have been sleeping on the Giants. They played a strong Jaguars team very close last week, whilst the Cowboys were very ordinary against the Panthers. The Giants are the better team here and represent great value when you’re getting the key number of 3 in your favour.
Score Prediction: NY Giants 27-21 Dallas Cowboys