A yearly NFL tradition continues in 2022, as the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys host games on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions have hosted a holiday game each year since 1934, when owners made their own schedules, and Detroit owner G.A. Richards scheduled a game with the Chicago Bears. The Bears edged Detroit, 19-16, and the Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game annually since then. However, the Lions have only gone 37-42-2 on Turkey Day. The Cowboys joined the party on 1966, as an idea of Dallas GM Tex Schramm. At the time, the Cowboys were not nearly as popular as they are today, and so the NFL guaranteed the Cowboys a minimum dollar amount in gate revenue. However, 80,259 fans packed the old Cotton Bowl,, and the Cowboys have appeared on Thanksgiving each year since then, except for 1975 and 1977. This year, Dallas welcomes a divisional foe, the New York Giants. The Cowboys just demolished Minnesota last week, while the Giants struggled in a home loss to Detroit last week. The Giants and Cowboys are now tied for second in the NFC EAst, two games behind Philadelphia. Which team can take the inside track for a wild card and a chance to catch the Eagles? Don’t miss our NFL betting preview.
NFL Preview: N.Y. Giants at Dallas Cowboys
(Thursday, November 24)
When: Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 4:30 pm ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
TV: FOX
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Dallas -9.5 / O/U 45.5 // Dallas -455 / New York +345
Why should you bet on New York?
This is a crucial game for the Giants, as they have only played one game in the division so far – a home loss to Dallas. They still face a rejuvenated Washington team twice – and they have the Eagles twice. To preserve their fate in the division, they need this win. They have dropped two of three, falling in Seattle before coming out of the bye to beat Houston, only to let Detroit hang 31 on them. The Giants had put together a solid game plan, riding Saquon Barkley to set up Daniel Jones and his own scrambling or the passing game, and ball security had improved. However, Barkley only ran for 22 yards on 15 attempts last week, and the team coughed the ball up three times. The offense has stagnated, though, and the coaching staff has not yet put together much in the way of adjustments.
The Giants’ defense has also been much better this season, permitting just 20.4 points per game after giving up 24.5 a year ago. However, they gave up 31 points a week ago, and the Cowboys just scored 40 in Minnesota against another tough defense. If you look at the point spread, though, it has jumped from Dallas -6.5 up three points since the open, and it’s a good argument that this is an overreaction to Dallas winning big last week. The Cowboys did beat the Giants by seven up in New York, but the Cowboys are a team that struggles to put together consistent play, week in and week out. If you like the Giants, you see them exploiting Dallas’ problems stopping the run, both with Barkley and Jones, and you see Dallas’ propensity for pre-snap penalties to reappear.
Why should you put your money on the Cowboys?
If you believe that the Cowboys have a legitimate shot to win a Super Bowl this year, then the win over the Vikings was your Exhibit A. Tony Pollard gained 189 yards from scrimmage, a career high, including two touchdown receptions totaling almost 100 yards – without a defender touching him on either play. Dak Prescott completed 22 of 25 passes, a return to his early 2021 form, rather than his recent form, which saw him hesitate and sail balls over receivers’ heads.
The Cowboys also sacked Kirk Cousin seven times, with Dorance Armstrong and Micah Parsons getting two sacks apiece. Ezekiel Elliott came back from injury and ran for two touchdowns. Brett Maher nailed four field goals, including a 60-yarder at the end of the first half. He actually made two 60-yarders, because the booth had initiated a review just before the snap of his first attempt. The Cowboys played extremely well in all phases, and we saw just how high their ceiling is.
Final Score and Prediction
The spread on this game worries me. It’s a short week, and while the Cowboys made multiple adjustments after the loss in Green Bay, I think that the Giants have a better staff in terms of making creative decisions and adjustments. The Cowboys didn’t have to deal much with the Minnesota running game because they got out to an early lead and the Vikings decided to throw the ball and play catch-up. I predict a final score of Dallas 27, New York 20 – but I like the Giants to cover.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
