UNDER Bettors Eyeing More Profit When Cowboys and Giants Clash

Having nothing to play for but pride and continuity in Week 17, the Dallas Cowboys head to the Big Apple to face the New York Giants. The Cowboys locked up the NFC East division title vs the Bucs in Week 16 while the Giants nearly played spoiler to Indianapolis before coughing up a 10-point lead to the Colts.

Although the Cowboys have no way to move up or down in the playoff standings, owner Jerry Jones says they still plan to play their starters but the real question is for how long. That’s a question even oddsmakers have struggled to answer, which is why the Cowboys opened as 7-point underdogs (since moved to +6) with a total of 42.5 (since moved to 41.5).

SHARK BITES

Cowboys vs Giants Game Center

Giants Continue to Falter At MetLife Stadium

At MetLife Stadium, the Giants have been a train wreck and have been draining bettors’ bank accounts if you backed them. They’re 1-5-1 ATS (2-5 SU) in seven home games this season and the only glimmer of hope on their roster is the beast known as Saquon Barkley. The rookie running back has been a force and has seven touchdowns over his last seven games but has been held below 50 yards rushing in his last two outings, opening the door for Browns QB Baker Mayfield to scoop up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The Giants were so close to playing spoiler vs the Colts in Week 16 as they went up 17-7 early in the third quarter and were clicking on offense. But the defense pretty much killed that lead as Andrew Luck and company picked them apart and enabled Indy to rip the game out of the Giants’ lifeless hands.

If I had to pick in this snoozefest of a game, I’d likely side with the Giants spread because they won’t be facing a fully invested Cowboys squad and if Eli Manning can get out of his own way and allow the offense to go exclusively through Saquon, the Giants have a shot to close out the season with a double-digit victory.

Prescott May Play but Let’s Get to Know Cooper Rush

Look, if the Cowboys actually play their starters for most of the game, then they would be the favorite and would likely win this game by a touchdown. As much as Jerry Jones wants to pander to fans (and bettors), the reality is that Dallas will likely treat this as a glorified preseason game where the ones get enough snaps to work on some continuity but will be pulled to avoid serious injury.

With that in mind, bettors opting to take the Cowboys need to know who Cooper Rush and Rod Smith are. Dak Prescott’s backup played at Central Michigan and while the Dallas front office raves about him, the reality is that he hasn’t played a meaningful snap in the NFL and in four years with the Chippewas, he threw 55 interceptions in 52 games. Not exactly inspiring. RB Ezekiel Elliott will also likely not play much and Smith is only averaging 2.9 yards per carry on 32 attempts.

I’m not sold that the Cowboys will play this game with the same urgency that saw them win six of their last seven games. I think “America’s Team” will play hard for the first quarter, then pull the plug, rest their starters and start to plan for their wild-card opponent as they’re one of the few teams that can’t change their playoff seeding.

Should You Take the UNDER?

The total opened at 42.5 (since moved to 41.5) and trends are pointing to an UNDER in this NFC East showdown. The UNDER has hit in the last five games in this matchup with an average combined score of 30.2 points per game. When these teams met in Arlington in Week 2, the final combined score was 33 points and the total closed at 42 points. The Cowboys on the road have also led to a lot of UNDERs as the final score has fallen short of the total in 10 of their last 11 road games with an average combined score of 32.8 points per game.

My Pick Is…

To take the UNDER. The Giants offense is still a train wreck with Eli Manning taking the snaps and there are too many warning signs coming into this game that lead me to believe this inconsequential game will be a snoozer. The Cowboys offense has trouble scoring with its starters so now they’ll score over 20 with Cooper Rush at QB? Gimme a break.