Cowboys vs Giants: NFC East Showdown Preview

MetLife Stadium will be the stage for a highly anticipated NFC East showdown this Thursday night, as the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants go head-to-head. Despite the Cowboys' recent dominance in this rivalry, the Giants are keen to alter the narrative.

Cowboys' Recent Dominance

The Cowboys enter this game riding a six-game winning streak against the Giants. Last season, Dallas notched up two commanding victories, with scores of 40-0 and 49-17. This season, while the Cowboys have had their ups and downs, they remain a formidable opponent.

Dallas has secured the NFC East division title in two of the last three seasons. Nevertheless, the team is eager to halt a two-game losing streak and improve their away record, which stands at 5-5 since the start of 2023.

Key Players to Watch

Quarterback Dak Prescott has historically performed well against the Giants. In 13 starts, Prescott boasts a career passer rating of 101.6. He has completed 64% of his passes for 3,433 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only six interceptions against New York. This season, however, Prescott's numbers have dipped slightly, with a passer rating of 85.8 and a completion rate of 60.7%. He has thrown for 851 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is another player Giants fans need to watch. Lamb has recorded 38 receptions for 529 yards and two touchdowns in six games against New York. Last season alone, Lamb caught 11 passes for 151 yards in their November 12 matchup. Rookie Malik Nabers has also been impressive this season, leading the Cowboys with 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Nabers has shown remarkable big-play ability, with six receptions of 20 or more yards and 14 first-down conversions.

Giants' Position and Performance

The Giants, currently at a disadvantage with a 4-5 home record since the start of last season, are looking to build on recent momentum. They are coming off a hard-fought 21-15 victory over Cleveland, thanks to a strong performance by Wan'Dale Robinson. This season, Robinson has 15 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. His longest reception being 20 yards and total yards after the catch standing at 63, Robinson had seven catches for 61 yards in the latest win over Cleveland.

It's worth noting that the Giants' last home victory over the Cowboys was back in 2020, when they narrowly edged out a 23-19 win. Given their current form and historical underperformance against Dallas, the Giants have a major challenge ahead of them on Thursday night.

Betting Lines and Predictions

As of now, the Cowboys are 5.5-point favorites to win the game, with the over/under for total points scored set at 45.5. The betting model supporting these lines has a significant track record, having earned well over $7,000 for $100 bettors on top-rated NFL picks. Furthermore, the model is 188-130 on these picks, including a remarkable 42-22 streak since Week 7 of the 2022 season.

This upcoming clash is set to be an intriguing battle. With the Cowboys looking to maintain their dominance and the Giants eager to prove their mettle, fans can expect a fiercely competitive game at MetLife Stadium.