New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
When: Sunday, September 10, 2017, 8:30 PM ET
Line: New York Giants (+4) at Dallas Cowboys (-4); total: 47.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
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- 2017 NFL Week 4 Picks and Predictions
Betting on the New York Giants (+4)
At 36 years of age, the New York Giants have got to be wondering whether or not quarterback Eli Manning can still be the face of their franchise. Last season, Manning threw for over 4,000 yards to go with 26 touchdowns, but did end up with a dismal average of 6.7 yards per attempt and got picked off 16 times – his most interceptions thrown since 2013.
As such, the Giants did what they could to upgrade his weapons in the passing game by getting veteran wideout Brandon Marshall and using their first-overall draft pick on tight end Evan Engram. The offensive line didn’t see much improvements, though, so Manning could encounter the same fits in the passing game like last year.
Still, New York’s defense remains a force to be reckoned with. This unit flew under-the-radar last season, ranking second in the league at just 17.8 points allowed per contest. The team’s young secondary consisting of Eli Apple, Janoris Jenkins and Landon Collins should not be taken lightly, and the same goes for its stud pairing of edge rushers in Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
It’s still rather safe to count on the G-Men to get their campaign off to a solid start against a Cowboys team hampered by off-field issues. They’ve won three-straight meetings against their long-time division rivals (2-0-1 ATS), including last year’s Week 1 showdown in Dallas.
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (-4)
Much of the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason revolved around their standout running back Ezekiel Elliott, who could miss the first six games of the regular season because of the domestic abuse charges he’s facing from his ex-girlfriend.
As of this writing, Elliott has the backing of the NFLPA in preventing him from missing those six games until his appeal for the suspension has reached a verdict. But whether or not the 2016 rushing leader will serve less time from the ban (or none at all) remains to be seen.
Given the uncertainty in Dallas’ rushing attack, the team will look toward second-year QB Dak Prescott to put together another fantastic campaign. In his rookie season, Prescott racked up over 3,600 yards passing along with 23 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He was so efficient that he finished in the top five in terms of completion percentage (67.8 – fourth) and passer rating (104.9 – third) in just his first year in the pros.
Considering that the Cowboys still have what appears to be a middle-of-the-pack defense that didn’t see any significant upgrades during the offseason, Prescott will need to carry his team on his shoulders on Opening Week. A good number of critics see the Mississippi State product seeing a slight regression this 2017, and the skepticism is well-justified indeed should Elliott not be able to help him out in the offense’s running game.
Although the Cowboys lost to the Giants in their season debut last year, they’ve actually won three of the last four Week-1 clashes versus their NFC East rivals (3-1 ATS). By the way, last season’s defeat to New York was just a one-point squeaker.
Writer’s Prediction
The Giants (+4) escape the Lone Star State with a 30-24 upset of the Elliott-less Cowboys.
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