Old NFC East rivals clash under the light on Monday Night Football, when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants in Week 9.
Dallas opened as a touchdown road favorite in East Rutherford, and action on the Cowboys has moved this spread as big as -7.5.
If you’re betting on the NFL sports bet odds for Monday Night Football, here are some angles and edges to factor into your handicapping.
Time to heal
Dallas is coming off a much-needed bye week heading into Monday night, having fought through injuries on offense in recent weeks. Key bodies were missing from the offensive line and receiving roster, which led to a three-game slide in losses to New Orleans, Green Bay and the New York Jets. Dallas was able to return some of those contributors in Week 7, leading to a one-sided win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys will be as healthy as they’ve been since September on Monday night, and ready to hit another gear with this up-tempo offense. Dallas is first in the league in total yards per game at almost 438, getting great balance between the pass and run. That’s led to an average of more than 27 points per game.
The Giants defense has been a huge weakness for the G-Men in 2019. They were burned already by this Cowboys attack in Week 1, giving up 35 points with four passing touchdowns coming from quarterback Dak Prescott. New York is 28th in yards allowed and just watched the Detroit Lions stack up 342 yards passing and 31 points in a Week 8 loss at Detroit.
Hit the ground running
The Giants best plan of attack Monday is to keep the ball out of Prescott’s hands, and that means a healthy dose of running back Saquon Barkley. The second-year rusher out of Penn State is back to full strength after missing time with an ankle injury. He rushed for 64 yards and added 79 yards receiving in the loss at Detroit last Sunday.
Barkley had a big day in Week 1 versus Dallas, amounting 120 rushing yards on 11 carries while tacking on an additional 19 yards receiving. The Cowboys defense has some very speedy linebackers but has been plagued with poor tackling, leading to 96.9 rushing yards allowed per game in 2019.
New York will also turn to Barkley as a pressure release for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, who will be constantly hounded by this Cowboys pass rush. Jones has made some critical errors under pressure this season, and will check down to his pass-catching back plenty on Monday night.
Total time
The Over/Under for Monday Night Football is set at 48 points. The Cowboys and Giants played Over the total of 44 in Week 1 and have topped the number in 11 of their previous 17 matchups in East Rutherford.
