Cowboys vs. Giants: Week 3 Betting Preview & Predictions

by | 20 September 2022

The 2-0-0 New York Giants host the 1-1-0 Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants have a point spread of -2½ with a money line of -135. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 39½ points.

Dallas Cowboys New York Giants

Dallas Cowboys (+2½)

Record: 1-1-0
Points Per Game: 11.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 18

New York Giants (-2½)

Record: 2-0-0
Points Per Game: 20
Points Allowed Per Game: 18

New York Giants Offense:

The Giants are coached by Brian Daboll who has been with the team since 2022. They have a current season record of 2-0-0 after going 4-13 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Brian Daboll is no different.

Daniel Jones is the quarterback for the Giants. The 25-year-old Duke alum entered the league in 2019 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 2 games and thrown for 364 yards with a completion percentage of 70.9 percent. Daniel Jones has thrown 3 touchdowns despite 1 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 99.4.

His main target will be Kadarius Toney. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 23-year-old target. He has made 2 receptions to date on 3 targets, a catch percentage of 66.7%, for a total of 0 yards. Kadarius Toney is averaging 0 yards per catch with 0 touchdowns thus far. Daniel Jones will be looking to connect with him for more here.

The Giants running game is lead by the 25-year-old Saquon Barkley. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 39 carries and rushed for 236 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 118 YPG, a number that you know Brian Daboll would love to see him exceed in this game. Saquon Barkley has 1 touchdowns this season and 1 fumbles.

Overall, the New York Giants offense ranks 18 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at -6.5%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 30 with a Passing DVOA of -9.7%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of -3.5%, ranking #19 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.5 with 3 Red Zone touchdowns in 6 attempts.

New York Giants Defense/Special Teams:

On the defensive end, the Giants have a Defense DVOA of 6.7%, ranking 20 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #32 at 6.9% and they’ll need them to show up against Cooper Rush. The Brian Daboll-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of 6.9%, #21 out of thirty two teams.

Their kicker is Graham Gano who has made 4 of 4 field goals this season, a 100.0% field goal percentage, with a long of 56 yards. The New York Giants fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.

Dallas Cowboys Offense:

The Cowboys are on the road for this one. Mike McCarthy’s squad is 1-1-0 this season after going 12-5 last year. He has been at the helm since 2020 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Dallas Cowboys have a betting line of +2½ or you could bet them straight up at +115.

29-year-old Cooper Rush will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2017 after playing his college days at Central Michigan University. Cooper Rush has a quarterback rating of 87.2 on 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He’s started 1 games and thrown for 299yards, a completion percentage of 59.1.

Ezekiel Elliott is the lead back for the Cowboys running game. The 27-year-old has taken 25 carries and rushed for 105 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 52.5 YPG and he has scored 0 touchdowns with 0 fumbles.

On the passing front, Cooper Rush will look to target CeeDee Lamb against the Mike McCarthy defense. CeeDee Lamb has 0 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 22 times and made 9 catches for 104 yards. CeeDee Lamb has a catch percentage of 40.9% and his yards per reception is 11.6.

According to FootballOutsiders, the Dallas Cowboys offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of -17.8% which ranks at number 28 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -6.7%, the number 24 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 27 with a Rush DVOA total of -14.5%.

If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 2 Red Zone touchdowns on 2 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 1.

Dallas Cowboys Defense/Special Teams:

The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Brett Maher to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 54 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Brett Maher has made 3 field goals on 54 attempts, a field goal percentage of 100.0%.

The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Cowboys with a Defensive DVOA of -17.2% which ranks at 6/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.

Against the pass they rank at #32 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of 6.9%. Comparatively, the run defense has a -4.6% DVOA which ranks at #21.

Key Match-ups:

  • Daniel Jones QB Rating of 99.4 vs. Dallas Cowboys Pass DVOA Defense of -6.7%
    The Cowboys have 1 interceptions this year and 8 sacks. They are allowing 18 points per game.
  • Saquon Barkley vs. Dallas Cowboys number 27 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
    Opponents are averaging 4.2 yards per carry against the the Dallas Cowboys and 120.5 per game.
  • Cooper Rush QB Rating of 87.2 vs. New York Giants #32 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
    The Giants defense has allowed 18 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 3 times and picked him off 0 times.
  • Ezekiel Elliott vs. New York Giants 12.3% DVOA Rush Defense
    The Giants are giving up 119.5 YPG on 4.9 per carry thus far this season.

Cowboys/Giants Bettting Stats:

Cowboys Against the spread: 1-1-0
Cowboys Over/Under: 0-2-0

Giants Against the spread: 2-0-0
Giants Over/Under: 0-2-0

The best bet is New York Giants -2½ and Under 39½.