The New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys in the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2026 NFL season. Kickoff for this NFC East clash from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast on NBC.
The Cowboys are 3-point favorites over the Giants on the spread (Cowboys -3), with the over/under set at 47.5 points. Dallas is a -164 favorite on the moneyline and New York is a +138 underdog.
Continue below for our Cowboys vs Giants picks for Sunday Night Football, which include predictions for the spread, over/under, and two player props.
Cowboys vs Giants Picks, Props
| Game | Time (ET) | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|
  | 8:20 p.m. | |
| 8:20 p.m. | |
| 8:20 p.m. | |
| 8:20 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Cowboys vs Giants Odds
- Cowboys vs Giants Moneyline: Cowboys -164, Giants +138
- Cowboys vs Giants Total: 47.5 (-112o/ -108u)
- Cowboys vs Giants Spread: Cowboys -3 (-112), Giants +3 (-108)
Cowboys vs Giants Spread Prediction
Sunday Night Football will give us our first look at two NFC East teams with new defensive coaching staffs.
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker will try to improve a historically poor defense in Dallas, and with the additions of several new personnel pieces, he should have a very good chance of getting this unit to league average.
That may be enough to make the Cowboys a legitimate contender in the NFC. The offense is set up to have tremendous output, and in this game specifically, they hold a decided edge against a Giants defense led by a new coordinator in Dennard Wilson.
Wilson did not have much success orchestrating the Titans defense a season ago, and despite the big names the New York front seven boasts, it still mustered a mediocre 34% pressure rate in 2025.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has only had one chance to face this Giants defense in each of the last two seasons — he has had little trouble delivering highly efficient performances, completing 75% of his passes with a 107.7 passer rating in total over the two meetings.
While Prescott has continuity on offense, Jaxson Dart does not.
Matt Nagy is the Giants' new offensive coordinator and I do not hold him in high regard. In addition to Dart playing his first game in a new system, it may be a work in progress building chemistry with Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Likely and Malachi Fields.
Confidently play the Cowboys at -3 or better on Sunday night.
Pick: Cowboys -3 (-112)
Cowboys vs Giants Over/Under Pick
By Billy Ward
At the risk of overreacting to two low-scoring primetime games to start the NFL season, I’m expecting another somewhat tepid affair on Sunday Night Football.
The biggest reason is my concern over the Giants offense.
Malik Nabers is questionable and seems to be trending towards not playing tonight. Even if he suits up, it’s likely he’ll be limited in either snaps or effectiveness after missing nearly a year with a torn ACL and meniscus and simultaneously being limited during training camp.
Without Nabers or with an ineffective Nabers, the Giants offense lacks a real threat in the downfield passing attack. Their No. 1 option would be one of Darnell Mooney, third-round rookie Malachi Fields, or tight end Isaiah Likely. You’d feel good about any of those players as secondary or tertiary options, but not as alpha pass catchers.
The reasons the Giants offense is so important to the total here is because the Cowboys will likely be content to play slow, ball-control football if they get out in front.
They were among the five-slowest teams in terms of seconds per play when leading by seven or more last season, and return effectively the same offensive personnel and coaching staff. Dallas certainly can keep up in shootouts if pushed, but are the Giants the team to do it?
As an added bonus, we still have some books leaving this total at 48.5 despite most of the market knocking it down a point.
Hard Rock Bet has the best line with under 48.5 still at -110 odds, while DraftKings has a -115 that I’d also consider playable – but I’d probably pass on the 47.5s in the rest of the market.
Pick: Under 48.5 (-115)
Jaxson Dart Over/Under Pass Completions
We don't know if Malik Nabers is going to play, but regardless, this line is a bit too low.
Dart hit the over at this number in five of his last seven full games last season. The matchup is a great one, with Dallas ranking dead last in passing yards allowed and points allowed last season.
After Quinnen Williams was added to this defense, the Cowboys became well above average against the rush. As a 3-point underdog, the game script favors the passing game for the Giants.
I have Dart projected to hit this at a 60% clip.
Pick: Jaxson Dart Over 18.5 Pass Completions (-117)
George Pickens Anytime Touchdown Scorer
By Sean Koerner
George Pickens was constantly showing value in our prop tool last year, and that continues to be the case in 2026.
Still playing on a one year deal, Pickens has all the incentive in the world to ball out this season. Some people may not love that he has to play with another alpha receiver in CeeDee Lamb, but it's really not the worst thing in the world. Defenses have to put a lot of effort into slowing both of them down over the course of a full game — Pickens should be open a few times in this one tonight.
I love the price.
Pick: George Pickens Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+160)
