New York Giants Open Week 13 as Underdogs vs Dallas

The oddsmakers are being a little more friendly towards the Giants in a weak divisional matchup with the Cowboys, but the Giants are still the underdogs.

Nov 24, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) walks off the field after shaking hands with Washington Commanders players after their game at Northwest Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After the New York Giants' disastrous loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their return from the bye week, one might wonder how seriously the oddsmakers will take the franchise down the remaining six games of their 2024 schedule. 

It wouldn’t be crazy to anticipate larger odds against them till the bitter end. But they might avoid that for another week with an equally miserable matchup looming for Week 13. 

According to FanDuel’s opening odds for the NFL’s next slate, the Giants (2-9) will shift gears quickly and travel to Arlington, where they are a 3.5-point underdogs to the Dallas Cowboys (4-7) on Thanksgiving Day. 

The choice by Vegas gives the Giants a slightly friendlier chance than the previous game against the Cowboys when they were 4.5 home underdogs in what became a 20-15 Thursday night loss in Week 4. 

It is quite surprising, too, considering the Giants are coming off a 30-7 spanking at home by the Buccaneers and haven’t held a lead in six complete games dating back to Seattle in Week 5.

However, they are meeting up again with a Dallas squad whose season has equally gone off the rails. The Cowboys’ roster has been marred by relentless injuries to key players on both sides, most notably quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 8 and is out for the remainder of the season. 

In the aftermath of his ailment, the Cowboys have lost two of three contests to fall to 4-7 on the year, but their woes started way before the loss of their starting gunslinger. They lost five of their first eight contests with one of the worst rushing games in the league and a bottom-tier defensive group in both phases. 

The matchup is set to feature a battle of two backup quarterbacks: Tommy DeVito for the Giants and Cooper Rush for the Cowboys. The latter, a seventh-year veteran, has played at least seven games for the Cowboys in the last three seasons, including nine in 2022 when Prescott suffered a season-ending injury that collapsed that campaign.

Behind Rush, who holds 91 completions for 813 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, Dallas ranks in the bottom third of the NFL in total production metrics and boasts a modest passing attack that was built mostly on the shoulders of Precott’s contributions. 

Outside of relying on their receiving arsenal, the Cowboys are abysmal on the ground with rankings of 30th or worse in every major rushing category. They are dead last in with just rushing touchdowns on the season and 31st with an average carry of 3.7 yards. 

The Cowboys defense has also had trouble stopping just about anything that is thrown their way. It’s been a tough campaign after losing former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who took the head coaching job in Washington. 

They rank in the bottom five teams in opponent production and rushing activity, including 32nd with 19 rushing touchdowns allowed. 

Despite being in the premium 4:30 window on Thanksgiving, the game could be a snoozer between two franchises heading in the wrong direction. The Giants have a more daunting immediate future, with their product collapsing to almost nothing on game days. 

It’ll be another tough task for DeVito, albeit a momentous one, if he can pull off the win against a rival that has owned 14 of the last 15 matchups and seen straight homestands.

Neither team has a win at home this season, but the Giants have lost six of their nine contests by five points or greater. 

The only concern for bettors who want to place some action on the divisional spot is that the Giants tend to play better on the road, earning their only two victories in Cleveland and Seattle and losing the rest by eight points or less. 

The total over/under points for the game is 38.5, which likely accounts for the less-than-mediocre offensive schemes that both teams flash. That number has been covered in only three of New York’s affairs this season but has been amassed comfortably in nine of Dallas’ matchups. 

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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