Kickoff: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Line: Dallas -3.5, Total: 49

With both teams coming off disappointing 2015 campaigns, NFC East rivals, New York and Dallas, meet in a matchup that always seems to come down the wire.

The 2015 Giants were a 6-10 team that could easily have been 10-6. Uncharacteristic mistakes at crucial times by former head coach Tom Coughlin and veteran QB Eli Manning cost them, as eight of their ten losses were by fewer than seven points. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo ascends to the head coach position, and the Giants offense should be explosive. A handful of free agent signings should revitalize a defense that was downright pathetic last season. CBs Janoris Jenkins (formerly with St. Louis) and Leon Hall (Cincinnati) improve the secondary, while DE Olivier Vernon (Miami) and a healthier DE Jason Pierre-Paul (blew three fingers off with fireworks in July, 2015) lead the pass rush. The Cowboys’ 2015 went down the toilet shortly after QB Tony Romo got hurt, forcing a stable of FXFL-caliber passers into action. Now Romo is dealing with a fracture in his back that is expected to sideline him for six weeks and rookie QB Dak Prescott is the newest guy to be tasked with getting the ball to WR Dez Bryant. Dallas eschewed glaring needs on defense to nab Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall in the NFL Draft in hopes of reinstituting the bulldozing running game that led them to the 2014 playoffs. They certainly have the elite offensive line to do so. Defensively, Dallas might have the NFL’s most lackluster front seven, with at least three inexperienced players thrown into major roles after a plague of suspensions decimated the starting lineup. They’ll need LB Sean Lee and an improving secondary to make tons of plays to avoid getting thrashed in shootouts. In 2015’s second meeting between these teams, the Giants were three-point home favorites with Dallas starting Matt Cassel at QB; New York gained only 289 total yards, but a Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie INT return TD and a kickoff return TD by Dwayne Harris gave the Giants a 27-20 victory. Since 2012, New York is 1-7 ATS & SU in the first two weeks of the season. Under head coach Jason Garrett, Dallas is 8-23 ATS (20-11 SU) as a home favorite. Due to suspensions, the Giants will be without veteran K Josh Brown and the Cowboys won’t have lead-sacker DE Demarcus Lawrence.

After two seasons as offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo was hired as head coach. McAdoo’s system produced 26.3 points per game last season (6th in the NFL), but turnovers in key situations and clock management issues lingered. QB Eli Manning has settled into McAdoo’s West Coast passing game, throwing for 4,432 yards and 35 TD last year with a thin supporting cast. WR Odell Beckham hauled in 96 catches for 1,450 yards and 13 TD despite garnering massive attention from opposing defenses, and crafty second round draft pick WR Sterling Shepard could be the best No. 2 target Manning has had in a few years. The running game is an afterthought, with a middling offensive line working in front of a lackluster RB group led by Rashad Jennings (1,159 yards from scrimmage, 4 TD). RB Shane Vereen caught 59 passes last season and should see plenty of playing time on passing downs. After finishing last in yards allowed (420 per game), 30th in points allowed (27.6 per game) and 30th in sacks (23), the Giants paid big money in free agency to make improvements throughout the defense. DT Damon “Snacks” Harrison is an unmovable disrupter in the run game, DE Olivier Vernon (7.5 sacks with Miami) improves the pass rush and CBs Janoris Jenkins and Leon Hall upgrade a secondary that allowed a league-high 299 passing yards per game last season. DE Jason Pierre-Paul still terrorizes opposing quarterbacks and is getting more acclimated to playing with seven fingers.

The Cowboys will try to replicate the run-oriented offense that won them 12 games in 2014. Fourth overall draft pick RB Ezekiel Elliott will be the bell cow behind the league’s best offensive line. Dallas is 15-3 in Tony Romo’s last 18 regular-season starts, but Romo is not going to be under center any time soon. Instead fourth rounder QB Dak Prescott will be leading this team. Prescott impressed in the preseason and should be better than last year’s backups were when forced to play, but he won’t have the same chemistry with TE Jason Witten and will need to do a good job of getting WR Dez Bryant the ball or things could go south fast. After a meager 31-sack season, Dallas will be without its best pass-rusher, DE Demarcus Lawrence (8 sacks), for four weeks due to a suspension. And starting LB Rolando McClain is suspended for ten games. On Draft Day, the Cowboys neglected to take an active defensive player until the third round, leaving their front seven depleted and inexperienced. The secondary should be the strength of the defense. Top CB Orlando Scandrick is back from a knee injury that cost him 2015, and hybrid DB Byron Jones looked like a rising star for much of his rookie season.