The John Harbaugh era as the new head coach of the New York Giants begins in the early hours of Monday morning with NFC East bragging rights at stake as the Dallas Cowboys make the trip to MetLife Stadium.
With a new man at the helm, a competent quarterback in Jaxson Dart in the pocket and the return of former fan favourite Odell Beckham Jr., there is optimism in the Giants' camp heading into the new season.
The Cowboys have an excellent record in this NFC East rivalry, winning 16 of their last 18 games against the Giants.
However, the last two encounters between these sides have suggested a potential shift in the winds and perhaps the Giants can earn a first winning start to an NFL season since 2022.
New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys Tips Summary
Best Bet - New York Giants to win @ 7/5
Alternative Bet - Cam Skattebo anytime touchdown scorer @ 20/21
Bet Builder - Jaxson Dart over 31.5 rushing yards, Cam Skattebo over 48.5 rushing yards & CeeDee Lamb 70+ receiving yards @ 5/1
New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys Prediction
Best Bet: New York Giants to win @ 7/5
While the Giants' record against Dallas over the years might be poor, their last two encounters with the Cowboys tell a different story.
Dallas required overtime to beat the Giants at AT&T Stadium last September, winning 40-37 after a crazy fourth quarter yielded 41 points with the Cowboys making a 64-yard field goal with the last kick of regulation, before the Giants eased to a 34-17 win in their last meeting at MetLife Stadium in January.
That victory in New Jersey should give many of these Giants players the confidence they can get one over on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his Dallas side this weekend.
Alternative Bet: Cam Skattebo anytime touchdown scorer @ 20/21
Suffering a horrendous right ankle injury in Week 8 of his rookie campaign against the Philadelphia Eagles last season, Giants' fans will be delighted to see running back Cam Skattebo in action again on Sunday.
The 24-year-old quickly endeared himself to the Giants' faithful with some impressive displays in his first eight matches for the franchise, scoring five rushing touchdowns and two receiving in that time.
Saying he’s excited to work with the new head coach, and given what we have already seen from Skattebo in his rookie season, the Arizona State star is fancied in the anytime touchdown scorer market.
New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys Bet Builder Tip
Jaxson Dart over 31.5 rushing yards
Cam Skattebo over 48.5 rushing yards
CeeDee Lamb 70+ receiving yards
Pays 5/1
Deciding to part company with key defensive star Micah Parsons unsurprisingly hurt the Cowboys’ rushing defence and the Giants can have some luck in the running game this weekend.
Dart averaged 34.7 rushing yards per game in his rookie season and is backed to hurt this Cowboys defence with his feet at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants QB can go over 31.5 rushing yards in this game, while Skattebo is tipped to go over 48.5 rushing yards, having averaged 51.25 before his injury last season.
Completing this three-fold Bet Builder, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb averaged 76.9 receiving yards per game last season and is fancied to break the 70+ mark on Monday morning.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
The Dallas Cowboys have won 16 of their last 18 games against the New York Giants
The Giants won the last meeting between these teams 34-17 at MetLife Stadium
The previous encounter in Arlington required overtime before the Cowboys prevailed 40-37 in Texas
The Giants have not won a season opener since 2022 when they managed to overcome the Tennessee Titans 21-20
Tactics, Form and Team News
The New York Giants have a largely healthy squad for the opening game of the Harbaugh era.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers has been listed as questionable after returning from the torn ACL that ended his campaign last season and it remains to be seen if he will suit up for this one.
As for the Cowboys, they will be without Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith after he underwent thumb surgery and was placed on injured reserve.
Running back Malik Davis has also been ruled out after suffering a serious hip injury during practice.
It is Emari Demercado who is expected to take over as the backup to fellow running back Javonte Williams, while the Cowboys have also decided to promote Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad.
Read more NFL betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
