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Can the Cowboys win their season opener? The experts we polled seem to lean that way.
The Cowboys host the Giants on Sunday in the season opener and are looking to get the season started on the right foot.
But divisional games have a way of taking on a life of their own, so pre-game predictions may not mean all that much. Whether or not the experts have a good feel for what will happen on Sunday remains to be seen, but here's what those experts are predicting for the game:
Pro Football Talk (Smith): Cowboys 30, Giants 20.
With or without Ezekiel Elliott, I expect the Cowboys to have a strong offense this season, as Dak Prescott takes a step forward and establishes himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. It starts with a big Week one win in prime time.
This time, Terrance Williams finds his way to the sidelines. This time, Dan Bailey hits the game winner. As stated 485 times this offseason, the Giants swept the Cowboys last season. Well, the Week 1 win at Dallas was Dak Prescott's first game. Ezekiel Elliott's, too. We now know that the latter will play, which is key in a game that could ultimately tilt the NFC East. What occurred in these two teams' second matchup from last year -- Janoris Jenkins stifling Dez Bryant -- could be the deciding factor this Sunday. Dallas' dynamic wide receiver must produce, because even if Big Blue's air game hasn't reached its heights, Eli Manning should find plenty of large windows to throw into against a young secondary with even larger room for growth. The Perkins/Gallman run game? Ehh.
The best kind of primetime marquee matchups are the ones where a judge decides whether a star player gets to play or not (Ezekiel Elliott will play). Or maybe where an Odell Beckham’s status is in limbo, too. The fallback position: It’s hard to see the Giants beating the Cowboys a fourth straight time.
Ezekiel Elliott will play in our Game of Week runnerup.
The Cowboys will have Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday night. But they had him last year for both games against the Giants, and the Giants beat the Cowboys both times. With seven months to prepare for facing quarterback Dak Prescott and 40-percent turnover on the offensive line and major changes to the Dallas defense and a major distraction coming from Elliott’s suspension, the Giants continue to mimic Jerry Jones in their ownership of the Cowboys.
This is always a fun game between division rivals, but the Cowboys might be without Ezekiel Elliott (depending on his appeal for a six-game suspension), which will make it a challenge. If the Cowboys rushed the passer better, I'd pick them, but since they don't, the Giants and Eli Manning will pull it out late.
New York’s defense is going to be solid, and the Giants tend to play well at Dallas. They have had months to devise a game plan against Dak Prescott, and it pays off even with Ezekiel Elliott playing.
75% of the experts and algorithms tallied by NFLPickwatch.com favor the Cowboys over the Giants, but NFL games - and divisional games in particular - can often go in an entirely different direction than one would have expected. And with this being the season opener, almost anything is possible on Sunday.
What's your expectation for the game?
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