Closing down the first loaded day of NFL action, the New York Giants will face off with the Dallas Cowboys in the Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup.
It is a new era of football in New York, and Isaiah Likely is a key part of this vision. As John Harbaugh makes his debut as the Giants’ head coach, Likely will be looking to make a strong impact alongside the head coach he is familiar with. New York will face an intriguing measuring stick matchup to start this season against the high-powered Cowboys offense.
Looking at the odds for the Week 1 Sunday Night Football opener, the Cowboys enter as three-point favorites and hold -166 odds to win outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Giants hold +140 odds to produce the upset, with the game total set at 47.5 points.
You can check out the full top player prop bets and game preview on DraftKings Network here. But let’s take a look at my top Isaiah Likely prop bets for his Giants debut.
Isaiah Likely Best Receptions Pick vs. Cowboys
Isaiah Likely Over 3.5 Receptions (-113)
Isaiah Likely kicked off the first four years of his NFL career largely in the shadow of Mark Andrews. He was handed a three-year, $40 million contract by New York, following Harbaugh to a new team, with the expectation that he will take on a larger role. Expect this to begin right from the opening week and for a focused effort by this Giants team to get Likely involved.
Likely has played 44% of the offensive snaps or fewer in two of his four years in Baltimore and never eclipsed more than 60%. Despite this, the 26-year-old has tallied 1,568 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns across his four seasons. With more responsibility on his plate, a coach familiar with his skill set, and a nearly ideal defensive matchup, expect this to be a perfect springboard into his production on the Giants. The Cowboys spent an offseason making it a clear priority to upgrade their defensive unit, but they are building off the foundation that ranked dead last in points allowed last season, 30th in total yards conceded, 31st in passing touchdowns conceded and dead last in passing yards allowed.
New York has a strong pass-catching unit, but there are some questions among each of the notable talents. Malik Nabers is one of the top wide receivers in the NFL when he is healthy, but he is a game-time decision for tonight and is still dealing with effects from his offseason knee surgery. Odell Beckham Jr. has not been a consistent contributor in a few years, while Malachi Fields is a rookie and Darnell Mooney is still settling in as a free agent addition. While he showed some impressive flashes during his rookie season, Jaxson Dart has plenty to clean up in his second season from a decision-making standpoint. This is especially the case as he settles into a new offense and new coaching staff.
One of the best ways to get a young quarterback settled is by leaning on the tight end at a high rate as a security blanket in the flow of offense. Likely can be easily confused for a wide receiver in the way he moves around the field. While I don’t mind taking a swing on his receiving yards prop or to reach the end zone, I am backing Likely to record over 3.5 receptions in his Giants debut. He has recorded as many as nine receptions in a game and tallied over 3.5 in 14 of his 63 career games, even while largely playing a backup role. With more offensive responsibility on his plate and an organization that invested heavily in his talents, expect it to be a priority to create chances in the flow of the offense. Count on 3.5 receptions being a comfortable bar to clear and give some thought to some alternate lines, such as Likely to record 5+ receptions at +186 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
