Giants get slight edge as Week 2 line settles at +4.5 against Cowboys
New York Post model favors Dallas but recommends backing Giants plus points; player prop focus on Tyrone Tracey
The betting line for Sunday’s matchup between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys settled at Giants +4.5 after earlier swings that briefly pushed the spread up to six points, according to betting-market reporting. The Giants enter the game in a must-win spot as they try to avoid an 0-3 start and a difficult Week 3 home date with the Kansas City Chiefs.
A New York Post model projects the Cowboys to win 25.29 to 19.19, but Post betting writer Erich Richter recommended taking the Giants +4.5 (-110 at BetMGM) on the premise that New York can perform better than it showed in Week 1. The Post’s published analysis pointed to offensive struggles for the Giants — they failed to score a touchdown in Week 1 and produced a poor outing from the quarterback — while noting the club’s defense displayed positives against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
The Cowboys, who opened the season with a strong showing against the Philadelphia Eagles, come into Week 2 with the benefit of an extra preparation day. Betting markets shifted through Friday before settling on the half-point spread, a move the Post described as nominal and in line with the model’s projection. The model’s numeric margin roughly equates to a 4-to-6 point spread, which mirrors the market activity.
Personnel issues and recent form inform the Post’s reasoning. The Giants will be without left tackle Andrew Thomas, and their offense has not yet found a reliable scoring touch. New York’s backfield features competition after additions in the offseason, and the team’s coaching staff is under early pressure to produce better results.
Alongside the game pick, the Post published player prop recommendations that target Giants running back Tyrone Tracey. The suggested plays are Tracey under 14.5 rushing attempts (-140 at FanDuel) and Tracey over 12.5 receiving yards (-110 at BetRivers). The prop logic cited Tracey’s Week 1 workload — 10 carries for 24 rushing yards — and the presence of additional ball carriers such as Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary. The Post characterized Tracey as more of a receiving back and noted he cleared the 12.5-yard receiving mark in five of his last seven games, bolstering the receiving-yard over.
Richter’s write-up for the Post also mentioned his recent betting results, saying he has produced strong returns in player-prop markets in prior seasons. The recommendation to back New York with points reflects the view that the Giants are unlikely to replicate the offensive futility they showed in Week 1 and that the team’s defense could keep the game within a manageable margin.
Contextual factors heighten the significance of Sunday’s game for New York. Loss would leave the Giants at 0-2 and create mounting pressure before their Week 3 home matchup against the Chiefs. For Dallas, an early win would reinforce its standing in the NFC and validate the team’s preseason expectations following the Eagles game.
Betting lines are fluid ahead of kickoff, and the Post’s picks included site-specific odds as of publication. Bettors considering the spread or the Tracey props should confirm current prices and market movement before placing wagers. The game will offer an early-season test of whether the Giants can rebound offensively and whether the Cowboys can maintain the momentum from their opening performance.