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Week 3 of the 2022-23 NFL season will conclude tonight when the Dallas Cowboys face off against the undefeated New York Giants on Monday Night Football. The NFC East matchup won’t have the same juice with Cooper Rush starting in place of Dak Prescott, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some money on the game.

So, let’s target three bets to score the first touchdown on MNF and try to hit a big winner.

Tony Pollard +1000

Tony Pollard rushes against the Bengals.
Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals | Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Ezekiel Elliott is technically the starting running back for Dallas, but Tony Pollard is a much more dynamic player at this point in their careers. Pollard has only six fewer touches than Elliott through two weeks, and he’s out-gaining him on a yards-per-touch basis, 5.7 to 3.6.

Not only has Pollard been more efficient with his touches this year, but he’s also the only Cowboys RB with a touchdown this season. Considering Elliott is +650 to score the first touchdown and Pollard is +1000, this is a no-brainer.

Daniel Jones +1000

Daniel Jones has struggled to move the ball through the air through two games, and that’s partly because the Giants have maybe the worst group of wide receivers in the NFL. Kadarius Toney is also expected to miss Monday night’s matchup with a hamstring injury, so I don’t expect New York’s passing game to show any signs of improvement against a strong Cowboys defense.

I do, however, expect Jones to keep scrambling the way he has so far this season. The QB has rushed 16 times through two weeks, but he hasn’t found the end zone on the ground yet. I think that could change Monday night with Micah Parsons chasing him out of the pocket all game, so let’s hope it happens early on.

Cowboys Defense +3400

Wait, what? Am I reading this right?

The Cowboys defense is +3400 to score the first touchdown, and the Giants defense is somehow +3000? What am I missing here?

Dallas scored six defensive touchdowns last season to lead the NFL, while New York scored just one. Parsons might be the best pass-rusher in the league right now, and Trevon Diggs can take one to the house at any moment. I also think Jones is more likely to cough up a lazy turnover than Rush is, so I don’t understand the reasoning behind these prices.

Give me the Cowboys D in what should be an offensive struggle for both teams.

All betting odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 9/26.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.