Which brings us to the next item …

Will the governor ‘mansplain’?

Mr. Cuomo, 60, has several rhetorical tics: He likes to answer questions with questions; he likes the phrase “writ large” and the number 57; and he is sometimes prone to condescension, including a cringe-worthy moment in December when he told a female journalist that she did “a disservice to women” for asking the governor a question about sexual harassment.

Look for the issue of gender to play a role in the debate as Ms. Nixon — trying to become the state’s first female governor — has blasted Mr. Cuomo’s propensity for “mansplaining” as well as other embarrassing interactions and comments about women. If, as expected, Ms. Nixon prods the governor on those issues, watch for Mr. Cuomo’s comments on such issues to be closely parsed.

Can Nixon master the minutiae?

Ms. Nixon, a first-time candidate with no prior experience in state government, has been tripped up by the details on occasion during the campaign, most notably in mid-August when she was pressed for details about her plan for “universal rent control.” In an appearance last week in Albany, Ms. Nixon flexed her comprehensive knowledge of education policy, but look for Mr. Cuomo — who has spent nearly 40 years in state politics — to try to trip up the newcomer with the ins and outs of New York’s labyrinthine government.

For Ms. Nixon, the debate represents her best chance to convince voters she is ready and capable of being governor. “This will be a huge introduction to lots and lots of New Yorkers,” said Jonathan Westin, executive director of New York Communities for Change, which is backing Ms. Nixon. “The governor has spent millions on TV ads promoting himself.”

Can Nixon be more than an anti-Cuomo?

Four years ago, Zephyr Teachout emerged out of virtually nowhere to win more than 34 percent of the vote in her primary challenge against Mr. Cuomo. So far this year, Ms. Nixon has yet to crack that number in any public polls, an indication perhaps that she has yet to broaden the base of supporters that just don’t like the governor.

She has her own distinctive platform — on schools, marijuana, the subways — but as an insurgent trying to tackle an entrenched incumbent, much of the focus of her campaign has been on Mr. Cuomo. Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist who is supporting the governor, said, “She has still to move outside that anti-Cuomo base because it’s not going to win her the primary.”