As the sun sets on a disappointing baseball season in New York, all eyes are turning toward the gridiron.
Expectations are high for the Giants and Jets this season, both of whom carry playoff hopes in tow.
For the Giants, who surprised many with a 9-7-1 record last year and followed that up with a playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings before crashing back to Earth in the Divisional Playoffs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, the addition of Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller along with Daniel Jones’ ascendance (and $160 million contract) has buoyed optimism around the team.
So, how will the Giants’ campaign kick off in 2023? By renewing the team’s rivalry with one of its most hated foes.
When do the Giants and Cowboys play?
The Giants start their season against the Cowboys on Sunday, Sep. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET in MetLife Stadium.
It will be the Giants’ only home game until Week 4, when they return to East Rutherford to play the Seahawks on Oct. 2.
How can I watch the game?
The two NFC East rivals will be the first matchup featured on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” schedule this season, so fans can tune in to their local NBC station (which is NBC 4 New York in the local market) or the network’s streaming service, Peacock, to catch the game
In addition, the game will be broadcast on other streaming services: Hulu, Fubo, YouTube TV and Sling all offer NBC with their respective subscriptions, which should allow fans without cable a chance to watch the Big Blue.
What can I expect from the Giants this year?
After their first season under the new regime of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, the Giants’ trajectory skyrocketed.
Big Blue made the playoffs last year for the first time since the 2016 campaign, signaling a new era might be dawning on the team.
Jones began to emerge as a top-flight quarterback, running back Saquon Barkley reestablished his dominance in a resurgent year, and Kayvon Thibodeaux broke out as a defensive stopper.
But some skepticism surrounds the Giants, who were outscored last year despite their positive record and have a relatively difficult schedule ahead of them this year.
Adding Waller, along with speedy receiver Parris Campbell, should help boost Jones’ offense, as the unit finished just 18th in total yards last year.
Jones, the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is improving in all facets of the game after throwing for 3,205 yards and rushing for 708 more last season.
Defensively, the addition of veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches figure to improve what was a miserable run defense (27th in NFL) last year.
It’s fair to expect the Giants to continue establishing themselves as a competent force in the NFL this season during the second year of the Daboll-Schoen regime, but many are still skeptical they can make the jump to elite status: the team’s win line is set at 7.5, per BetMGM.
What is the record between the Giants and the Cowboys?
The all-time record between Big Blue and the ‘Boys is not a favorable one for the Giants: Dallas leads 73-47-2 over a series that began in 1960.
As bitter NFC East rivals, there was a stretch from 2012 to 2019 in which the two teams faced each other six of eight times in the season opener, with the Cowboys taking five of those games.
Last season, Dallas handed the Giants two losses in a season sweep, which included the Cowboys besting Big Blue 23-16 with a Cooper Rush-led offense in September, resulting in a shouting match at the end of the game.
The Cowboys have won five Super Bowls to the Giants’ four, but New York has 2-0 lead in titles during this millennium.
Giants-Cowboys betting info
The Cowboys are three-point favorites to beat the Giants, per BetMGM.
The over/under line for the game stands at 46.5 points, which is roughly in between each Giants-Cowboys game last year, as one game finished with a 39-point total and the other at 48 points.
Dallas’ moneyline stands at -175, and the Giants’ moneyline is +145.