The opening Sunday Night Football game of the 2023 season will feature an old-school NFC East rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Dak Prescott will be leading a Cowboys' offense that carries over plenty of expectations following a 12-5 season.
However, Dallas' extremely talented offensive line may not be at full strength for this opening matchup. Left guard Tyler Smith is doubtful after missing practice all week and left tackle Tyron Smith is questionable after being limited in practice.
The Cowboys are slight road favorites in the Week 1 odds, but will Prescott be able to have time to make plays with a weakened O-line? Join me as I break down Prescott's SNF odds and give my best free NFL picks for Cowboys vs. Giants on September 10.
Don’t forget to look at our full-game SNF picks and predictions, as well as our SNF props column.
Dak Prescott SNF prop picks
- Over 13.5 rushing yards
- Prescott Over 13.5 rushing yards/Lamb Over 5.5 receptions/Pollard Over 2.5 receptions
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Dak Prescott SNF prop pick
Over 13.5 rushing yards (-122)
Despite possibly being down two offensive linemen, Dak Prescott will have some nice new targets to throw to in Week 1.
The Dallas Cowboys added wideout Brandin Cooks during the offseason and tight end Luke Schoonmaker through the draft. Add these weapons to a supporting cast that includes receiver CeeDee Lamb and a healthy Michael Gallup, and lead running back Tony Pollard and Prescott will have plenty of opportunities to put up numbers.
However, the New York Giants' defensive line will be a problem. Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence returns — as does second-year pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux — and the duo will be putting plenty of pressure on Dak. The good news is that both starting corners on New York are rookies and the Cowboys receivers should have mismatches on the outside.
Dak is going to need to get the ball out quickly or get outside the pocket to avoid a good pass rush. When healthy, he is actually quite a good scrambler. While Prescott missed five games last season following an injury in Week 1, he closed the season with solid rushing numbers.
Prescott averaged 22.4 rushing yards per game over the last five regular season games and two playoff games during that span. The Cowboys pivot averages 4.6 yards per rush attempt in his career which would mean he would only need three attempts at that average in this game to hit his Over.
With a heavy pass rush coming their way and the Cowboys down at least one missing starter on the offensive line, I expect Dak to need to be on the move and convert a few runs for decent gains.
Prop: Over 13.5 rushing yards (-122)
Dak Prescott SNF same-game parlay
There are a couple of plays that I like in this game to combine with our best bet for a nice same-game parlay.
To start, we already mentioned how Dak will need to get rid of the ball quickly. In that scenario, I really like Lamb to get a lot of looks inside on quick routes. He is electric with the ball in his hands in space and will be seeing a lot of time in the slot thanks to the acquisition of Cooks.
Lamb averaged 6.3 receptions per game last year and 7.2 catches over the final nine regular season games. His Over 5.5 receptions prop is a solid addition to this SGP.
Finally, the other beneficiary of needing to get the ball out quickly is Pollard. He is not typically a big threat in the passing game, but the Cowboys RB has had his moments in the past. Pollard had three or more catches in five of his final seven regular season games played last year.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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