Cowboys vs. Giants Prediction, Pick Against the Spread for Sunday Night Football

We get a classic NFC East rivalry to kick off Sunday Night Football, as the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium with an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC. For Sunday, September 13's battle, the Cowboys come in as 3.5-point favorites on the spread, per PrizePicks.

The Cowboys have playoff hopes once again on the back of their high-powered offense. For the Giants, it’s another new coach in charge with John Harbaugh at the helm to start the 2026 season. New York brings back a solid core, though, including QB Jaxson Dart, RB Cam Skattebo, and WR Malik Nabers, who is questionable to return from his torn ACL tonight.

Below, we’ll break down our Cowboys vs. Giants prediction and pick for the spread for Sunday Night Football in NFL Week 1.

Make your Cowboys vs. Giants prediction on PrizePicks for Sunday Night Football!

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Cowboys vs. Giants Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Sunday Night Football – 9/13/26

Last season was a tale of opposites for the Cowboys. Dallas finished second in total yards, just behind the Rams. Plus, the Cowboys were second in passing yards per game, eighth in rushing yards per game, and seventh in points per game.

However, they allowed the third-most yards overall and the most points per game at 30.1. Most of Dallas’ woes came in passing defense, allowing the most yards per game through the air.

This season, America's Team is attempting to shore up that defense by drafting S Caleb Downs with the #11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, while adding offseason acquisitions such as EDGE Rashan Gary, CB Cobie Durant, and S Jalen Thompson. Plus, Christian Parker was brought in to replace Matt Eberflus as the defensive coordinator

The Giants’ biggest shakeup was bringing in John Harbaugh as their new head coach. Former head man Brian Daboll brought WR Wan’Dale Robinson with him to Tennessee, which opened up room for more pass catchers to join, featuring TE Isaiah Likely and WRs Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III — who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the offseason.

Last season, the Giants as a whole were middle of the pack in the majority of the major offensive categories. However, they were a top five rushing offense thanks in part to Dart's legs and a crowded backfield, which included RBs Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Skattebo.

New York’s run defense was its biggest Achilles heel last season, allowing the second-most rushing yards. The Giants made it a priority to address that concern in the offseason by drafting LB Arvell Reese with the #5 pick, paired with signing LB Tremaine Edmunds.

The Cowboys enter Thursday’s game as 3.5-point favorites against the Giants, returning a 1.56x payout on PrizePicks if they win outright.

Here are the full payouts for the Cowboys vs. Giants game on Sunday Night Football, via PrizePicks.

Make your Cowboys vs. Giants prediction on the spread on PrizePicks.

PrizePicks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Cowboys vs. Giants Prediction on Spread for Sunday Night Football – 9/13/26

Here are the key stats and trends behind our Cowboys vs. Giants prediction on the spread for Sunday Night Football on September 13.

• As mentioned, the Cowboys return a unit that ranked second in pass yards per game. They finished fifth with a 0.177 dropback EPA per RBSDM. The Giants were 20th with a 0.088 dropback EPA allowed.
• Last season, the Cowboys ranked in the bottom 10 in total sacks but added Rashan Gary for additional defensive line help.
• Neither the Cowboys nor the Giants has a cornerback ranked in PFF’s top-32 corners for the season. Dallas finished tied for second-to-last with the division rival Commanders with a 0.239 dropback EPA on defense.
• Signs point toward star Giants receiver Malik Nabers returning tonight from his torn ACL.
• The Giants re-signed OT Jermaine Eluemunor and drafted OT Francis Mauigoa (#10 pick) for additional protection for franchise QB Jaxson Dart.
• The Cowboys are 8-0 lifetime in Week 1 primetime games against the Giants, further aided by a 10-1 overall Week 1 record vs. New York.
  
• According to StatMuse, the Cowboys are 46-45-1 lifetime against the spread vs. the Giants.

Lock in your Cowboys vs. Giants picks on PrizePicks before kickoff!

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Make Cowboys vs. Giants Picks on PrizePicks

It’s America’s Team against New York’s team to kick off Sunday Night Football in Week 1, and if it’s anything like the first matchup of 2025 (Dallas won 40-37 in overtime), we are in for a treat.

Don't wait until kickoff — make your Cowboys vs. Giants picks on PrizePicks now for Week 1 and earn real money if you're right.

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