3 reasons Cowboys will beat the Giants, 2 reasons they lose

The Dallas Cowboys look like one of the best teams in the NFL on paper in 2023, but the projecting on paper is all but done. The Cowboys are merely just a couple of days away from their first game of the 2023 season, a road matchup in New York against the Giants. Both of these teams made the playoffs last season, and both obviously feel like they made the necessary improvements to get even better in 2023.

Playing on the road, in general, is tough, but teams always get up for divisional matchups and you can often throw your paper projections out the window when it comes to matchups like this. But what advantages do the Dallas Cowboys actually have? What areas do the New York Giants have the upper hand?

The Cowboys are favored by 3.5, meaning the oddsmakers are projecting this one to be in Dallas' favor by a little more than a field goal. Let's take a look at three reasons why the Cowboys will win this one, and two reasons they might lose.

The Cowboys will beat the Giants because of...their defense

The one thing about the Dallas Cowboys these last couple of years that has grown them into a true contender in the NFC is the way their defense has progressed under coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn has this Cowboys defense looking like a top-5 unit once again this season, led by Defensive MVP candidate Micah Parsons.

Quinn now has one player in his defensive backfield who actually has that hardware -- cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Dallas's defense is deep, they're talented, they're fast, and they have the ability to get after the quarterback in droves. Not to disrespect the Giants' offense, by any means, but Dallas's defensive front is going to be tough to handle all year long.