NFL Sunday Night Football Predictions: Cowboys vs. Giants

The first Sunday night football game of the 2026 NFL season will pit the Dallas Cowboys against NFC East rivals New York Giants. There are high hopes for the Cowboys entering the season as always, but the Giants might be the more intriguing team. John Harbaugh has taken the reins, and the hope is that he can elevate Jaxson Dart to the next level after a promising rookie season. Check out our Sunday night football picks for this week’s game and all NFL Sunday night football throughout the regular season!

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Sunday Night Football Matchup Preview

Dallas has dominated this rivalry in recent years, so it’s no surprise to see the Cowboys favored in this NFL Sunday night game even though the game is being played in the New York metro area. The Giants were able to win the last meeting between these teams, but the Cowboys treated the 2025 regular season finale like a preseason game with Dak Prescott only playing the first half. Prior to that result, the Cowboys had won nine straight games against the Giants, and they are 16-2 against Big Blue since the start of the 2017 NFL season.

This Sunday night football matchup is the penultimate game of Week 1. In the recent past, we have had two Monday night football matchups for the first week of the season, but the game in Australia means that there will only be one NFL Monday night game this week. The Giants and Cowboys will be a great start to the Sunday night football schedule this season.

Team Records & Recent Form

No games have been played yet this season, so both the Cowboys and the Giants will come into this game with a 0-0 record.

Key Injuries & Roster Updates

Calvin Austin III suffered a torn ACL in practice two weeks before the start of the season, depriving the Giants of a potential slot receiver. Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr. are also listed as questionable, so the Giants may be at a loss when it comes to their skill position players.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys continue to be banged up along the offensive line. Reserve center Matt Hennessy suffered a season-ending neck injury in training camp, starting left tackle Tyler Guyton is listed as questionable, and three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith will miss at least a month due to a thumb injury.

Storylines to Watch

The main storyline for the Giants will be the debut of new head coach John Harbaugh and how this offense looks under second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. As for Dallas, there are always a myriad of headlines surrounding the Cowboys.

Sunday Night Football Odds

The Sunday night football odds list Dallas as a field goal favorite on the road. The Cowboys were originally a 2.5-point favorite in this game, but the line has moved in their favor. The NFL odds list the total at 48.5 points.

Point Spread Odds

Dallas Cowboys -3 at New York Giants

Moneyline Odds

Dallas Cowboys ML -160

New York Giants ML +135

Over/Under Odds

Total: 48.5 points.

Sunday Night Football Predictions

It hasn’t been easy to be a New York Giants fan over the last several years. The Giants have been one of the worst teams in the league since 2018, and they have an awful 23-42-1 SU record at home during this timeframe. The G Men have only been slightly better ATS wise with a 27-37-2 ATS mark at home in those games, making the Giants one of the worst teams to bet on in their home stadium.

Although I’m not particularly high on the Cowboys this year, I do think that Dallas will get the job done. That’s why I will back the Boys in the first of my Sunday night football predictions.

Winner Prediction

Dallas will win this game and cover the number to start the season 1-0 SU and 1-0 ATS.

Score Prediction

Dallas Cowboys 27, New York Giants 20

X-Factor of the Game

For the Giants to pull off the upset, they will need to have a great performance out of Jaxson Dart. The 2025 first-round pick out of Ole Miss came along well during his rookie season, but he was too quick to tuck and run, leading to multiple concussion checks last year.

Best Bets for Sunday Night Football

There are only two ways that I see Dallas losing this game. First, Dart takes a big step forward and moves the ball consistently against this secondary. Alternatively, the Cowboys’ problems on the offensive line could be magnified due to injury. The Giants could potentially have one of the best pass rushes in the league if their two most recent top draft picks can live up to their potential.

Veteran Brian Burns has proven himself to be one of the best pass rushers in the league, and new nose tackle D.J. Reader is good at occupying blockers. That should free up space for No. 5 overall pick Arvell Reese and last year’s No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. The Giants have spent a lot of money and draft capital to improve this pass rush.

Best Spread Bet

Although the Giants should be better this season, I think it will take some time for these many moving pieces to gel, so the Cowboys are one of my NFL best bets this week.

Best Moneyline Bet

Dallas is the better play on the moneyline too since the Cowboys are just a three-point favorite.

Best Total Bet

I am a bit biased towards the Under early in the season, and I think the Under is the better side in this game due to the problems both teams are having along the offensive line.

Sunday Night Football Player Props

NFL Players props have become extremely popular with the rise of fantasy football, so these are the SNF player props that I am betting on in this Week 1 game between the Cowboys and the Giants.

Passing Props

Dak Prescott Over 23.5 completions seems like a solid bet in this game. I do think that the Cowboys will be able to establish some success with their short passing game, as they know they can’t be as explosive given the situation along the offensive line.

Rushing Props

Cam Skattebo was one of the fun rookie storylines to follow last season before his injury. Skattebo is listed as the Giants’ top running back, but I don’t think he will run for more than 50 yards on Sunday night. Conversely, Dart’s playing style might lead to more designed quarterback runs under Harbaugh, so I will bet Dart to have over 29.5 rushing yards.

Receiving Props

I don’t believe we will see a lot of success through the air, so I am going to take the Under for the three best receivers in this game. George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Malik Nabers all have totals above 60 yards, and I think it’s very likely that two of the three receivers don’t reach that mark.

Anytime Touchdown Scorer

Dart to score a rushing touchdown is a solid bet.

Sunday Night Football Betting Trends

There are no real NFL betting trends to note yet since this is just Week 1. Every NFL ATS mark is 0-0, but we will track these trends over the course of the season.

Against the Spread Trends

It is usually profitable to go against favorites in Week 1 given the long offseason and preseasons where veterans see less and less action.

Over/Under Trends

Nothing to report in Week 1.

Head-to-Head Trends

Nothing to report in Week 1.

How to Bet on Sunday Night Football

This is the easiest time ever to learn how to bet on NFL games. There are a bevy of betting resources at your disposal, and dozens of sites and ads teaching fans how to bet on football.

Understanding NFL Betting Markets

Bettors like to back favorites and home teams when it comes to the NFL, so keep that in mind when looking for value.

Tips for Betting Sunday Night Football

Typically, we see money come in on the favorite playing on Sunday Night Football over the course of the day. This could mean that the Cowboys move past Dallas -3 prior to kickoff.

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