Dak Prescott, you’re up. After an outstanding preseason, the rookie quarterback has been forced to take the reins of the Dallas Cowboys following the back injury to starter Tony Romo. Prescott will aim to hit the ground running in this home game, but the Cowboys face a formidable foe in Week 1 as the New York Giants come to town.
The NFC East seems wide open and the winner of this one will be happy to get an early leg up on the other.
This contest in Week 1 of the regular season will go down Sunday, September 11, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Giants +1
Cowboys -1
Over/Under 46.5
Odds Analysis
The bettors are going hard on the Giants on this one. They are being chosen 73 percent of the time to over the spread and the money line juice at -101 is being hit 78 percent of the time. Even though New York is on the road, it has a stellar offense and is facing a backup quarterback. The bettors clearly don’t think the Giants should be the underdogs.
The scoring total of 46.5 is being hit on the “over” more than the “under” as both defenses have some work to do this year.
Injury Report
Leon Hall -- The Giants picked up the veteran slot cornerback late in the offseason and he could be a useful piece for them in nickel packages this year. However, Hall suffered a concussion in the preseason and his availability for the opener is up in the air.
Tony Romo -- The latest news is that the Cowboys likely won’t put Romo on injured reserve, which would keep him out until November. The hope is that he can return to play by mid-October. Either way, this will be Prescott’s show for a while, and the team signed veteran Mark Sanchez to back him up and be ready if needed.
Matchup to Watch
Cowboys’ running game vs. Giants’ defensive line: Dallas doesn’t want to put too much on the plate of Prescott. Although he was the biggest star in the NFL this preseason, the Cowboys should be content to make him a game manager until he proves he can do it week in and week out.
That’s where top-5 pick Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas’ great offensive line comes in. Elliott is projected to step in right away and be a three-down running back, and as long as there is a modicum of an air threat to keep the defenders back, the offensive line should be able to pave some holes.
The Cowboys can stay afloat in the earlygoing when Romo is out as long as the running game can consistently churn out yards. The Giants were not great defending it last season but if they can slow Elliott, it will allow the secondary to really feast on Prescott’s throws.
Free ATS Pick
This is one of the easiest calls of the week. Even though Prescott found success in the preseason, it’s a world of difference once defenses begin throwing exotic blitzes at you. The additions of Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins should make the Giants defense more talented this year and the offense should continue to hum behind Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr.
The Cowboys would have been rightly favored with Romo in the backfield, but the switch to Prescott will be too hard to overcome. While Elliott and Dez Bryant are two big-time playmakers, quarterback competency is extremely critical in the NFL, and Prescott’s inexperience will be too much to overcome.
The Giants are a great value on the moneyline at -101 as they should have little trouble putting up points on one end and limiting Prescott and Elliott on the other.
NFL Odds: Giants 28, Cowboys 20
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