NFC East rivals clash on Monday Night Football to wrap up Week 3. The Cowboys travel to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, looking to snap New York’s unbeaten run.

The Giants are off to a 2-0 start, and are already halfway to matching their 2021 season win total. As we’ll discuss however, this is not a team to fear. This is perhaps one of the weakest 2-0 squads you’ll find, which explains why they’re only laying 1-point to a Dallas team led by Cooper Rush.

Teams: Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants

Line: Giants -1

Total: 39.5

*Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

--

Oh What a Rush

With Dak Prescott still recovering from thumb surgery, Rush will make his second straight start. He and the Cowboys were victorious last week at home versus Cincy, although Rush’s performance had little to do with the outcome.

The 28-year-old threw for 235 yards, but the Dallas offence generated only 20 points. They were 3-for-10 on third downs, and lost the time of possession battle by over seven minutes. 

On the bright side, Rush may have an additional playmaker at his disposal against the Giants as Michael Gallup is expected to make his season debut.

A potent offence wasn’t needed against the Bengals in Week 2 thanks to a terrific defensive effort. Dallas held Joe Burrow and Co. to just one touchdown, a week after doing the same to Tom Brady and the Bucs. It’s the fewest touchdowns allowed by a Cowboys defence through two games since 1996, and Micah Parsons is a major reason for their success.

Parsons, last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, has racked up two sacks in back-to-back games, and will look to become just the third player in NFL history to start the season with three straight multi-sack games when he faces the Giants.

A year after ranking second defensively per DVOA, only five teams grade out higher than Dallas on that side of the ball early on.

Smoke and Mirrors

The Giants are 2-0 despite averaging only 20 points per game. Saquon Barkley led the league in rushing entering Week 3, but did the majority of his damage in the season opener against a suspect Titans defence.

Daniel Jones is completing 71% of his passes so far, but will be under siege all night long against these Cowboys. Jones has already absorbed eight sacks through two weeks, while Dallas boasts Pro Football Focus’ second best pass rushing grade.

Also working against Jones, is the lack of quality receiving options. Kadarius Toney, the team’s most talented wideout, is doubtful for tonight’s game, while rookie Wan’Dale Robinson has already been ruled out. Kenny Golladay on the other, has done little since he signed his $72 million contract in 2021.

Bottom-line, points will be tough to come by for New York on Monday night.

Defensively, the Giants have exceeded expectations so far. They held Tennessee and Carolina to 20 and 16 points respectively, but the advanced analytics community is not buying their dominance.

New York ranks 20th on defence per DOVA, while PFF grades them as a bottom-11 unit in coverage, against the run, and in pass rush productivity.

Best Bets

One consistent trend for both of these teams so far is low scoring games. Both teams are 2-0 to the under this season, while Rush’s two career NFL starts have produced an average of only 36.5 points

There’s a chance the Cowboys find success against an overrated Giants defence despite having to start Rush, but the New York outlook looks bleak.

Their team total currently sits at 20 points, and that’s a number I’m looking to bet against.

Pick: New York Giants Under 20.5 Points (-110)