New York Giants Go Into Cowboys Game As 6.5 Point Favorites

Sep 10, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon (54) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

After the first game of the season between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, not many would have thought that the Giants would open up as the favorite the second time around, but that’s exactly what happened when the odds came out recently for Sunday’s upcoming game. The Giants are the 6.5 point favorites according to USA Today, although the number could change in the days leading up to the game.

It’s the last game of the regular season for both teams, but the Giants won’t get another game after this.

Dallas, on the other hand, will have a trip to the postseason that will surely be on their minds as they take on a 5-10 New York team, which might ironically offer an advantage to the Giants. The Giants don’t have anything to play for at this point, but the Cowboys have nothing left to do in the regular season also. Despite the Giants being last in the division and the Cowboys being first, the teams are roughly in the same spot for this one game.

We don’t know how the Giants will approach the game, but signs point to them taking it seriously. Pat Shurmur confirmed before the Colts game that the Giants would try to win out in the last two games of the season, and we also know by now that the starter for the game will be Eli Manning, who has started over Kyle Lauletta every game even after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t plan on his team taking the day off against the Giants, however. “Absolutely. We’re all-out,” Jones said on the subject of playing the Cowboys’ usual starters in this game that doesn’t mean anything, a risky move when injuries can happen at any time in the NFL.

It should be a good game, although it’s somewhat surprising to see the Giants listed as the favorites if the Cowboys are indeed playing their starters, considering the terrible result the first time the two teams played, and the gap between them in the standings. Still, the offense has improved greatly since that game, and the second meeting will be a good test to see just how far they’ve come.