Giants Enter Week 1 as Underdogs Against the Cowboys

With the two-month grind of training camp and the preseason behind them, the New York Giants are ready and on the precipice of starting their 2026 season, the first under the leadership of head coach John Harbaugh, at home in MetLife Stadium.

There is excitement abounding about the team's new relationship with Harbaugh, the former Super Bowl-winning head coach in Baltimore, who is already driving a new culture within the walls of 1925 Giants Drive and has retooled the Giants' roster, which is expected to flash more talent on both sides of the ball.

Surprisingly, all the Giants' offseason noise hasn't completely convinced the minds of the oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook to back them in Week 1. The gambling outlet has Big Blue as a 2.5-point underdog ahead of their first home matchup against the visiting Dallas Cowboys.

Along with the opening spread, FanDuel has set the total points for the affair at 48.5 points, which is their third-highest line across the league's first weekend slate.

The Giants Must Flip History Against the Cowboys

New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) tries to run past Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (54), Sunday, January 4, 2026, in East Rutherford. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's actually quite easy to understand why the Giants, who have repeatedly been picked as one of the NFL's most improved teams, are not receiving the preliminary upper hand over their NFC East rivals.

The Cowboys, who finished 7-9-1 last season, have dominated recent series history. They've captured 16 of the last 18 meetings with the Giants dating back to the 2017 season, including a stretch of nine out of the last 10 games.

The Giants, who trail in the all-time series 78-48-2, finally ended Dallas' hot streak in their most recent faceoff in Week 18 of the 2025 season at MetLife Stadium in a 34-17 victory for the home side that landed their fourth and final win of the campaign.

Still, it was the Giants' first home victory against the Cowboys since the 2021 season finale, when they defeated the divisional foe 23-19.

In the previous season opener between the two teams in East Rutherford back in 2023, the Cowboys throttled Big Blue 40-0 in what was one of the most embarrassing performances for the franchise on a primetime stage.

If the Giants want to prove the oddsmakers wrong and gain more respect as the season progresses, they need to go out and flip the script against the Cowboys in a contest that will carry far more significance than the last game of another losing season did.

Despite splitting the pair of meetings last year, the Giants did take strides in damaging the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they put up over 34 points in both games and tallied over 380 yards of total offense — including a whopping 506 yards in the Week 2 contest that was their second-most of the season.

On the defensive end, they trimmed Dallas’ offensive production nearly in half by the time they got to the Week 18 matchup, which was partly spurred by forcing two turnovers to add to their streak of four consecutive games with two turnovers.

One of the interesting storylines in the opener will be the Giants' revamped offensive attack going up against the Cowboys' secondary, which was among the most generous in the league in aerial production last season, finishing dead last in yards allowed and 31st in touchdowns allowed.

The Giants ranked 13th in total yards last season while hovering around 20th in passing metrics. Even so, they found a way to take advantage of that weakness in their opponent's defense, coming close to beating Dallas twice in the same season for the first time since 2016.

That feat came with quarterback Jaxson Dart having a far weaker arsenal of receiving weapons than he has now. Harbaugh and company went and grabbed an elite playmaking threat in Isaiah Likely, who will pair with Malik Nabers and a couple extra veteran weapons to offer multiple explosive options on any given play.

Dallas Beefed Up Too

new york giant — Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III (10) drops back to pass during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys were also busy strengthening their defense so it wouldn't be as much of a launching pad for opposing offenses. They signed 11 free agents, including five defensive backs to help close up the back end and veteran edge rusher Von Miller to supply another threat to the Giants' backfield.

In the draft, their most notable selection was Ohio State safety and first-round pick Caleb Downs, one of the class's most versatile prospects whom the Giants were reportedly interested in only to go with Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the No. 10 pick.

Both franchises will walk into MetLife Stadium with key roster upgrades as they hope to chase the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title and postseason contention this season.

The Giants will carry a bigger chip on their shoulder to show they can finally play at the same level as, or better than, the Cowboys, especially on the primetime stage that, for most of recent history, has been far from friendly to them and their fans.

That should be the message from Harbaugh and his coaching staff as the first taste of legitimate football draws near: go out in front of the blue faithful and shock the world with a bold win against the Cowboys to open up what has been sold as a true new era in Giants football.

With a 1-0 start in their briefcase and some positive momentum, the organization may start to see less doubt from the oddsmakers, who have otherwise been unwilling to see them as a weekly favorite.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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