Two teams with significantly different vibes will clash in Charlotte in Week 15. The Dallas Cowboys will face the Carolina Panthers on the road.
Their Week 14 loss at home to the Bengals was just the latest in a brutal season for the Cowboys. Though the team and owner, Jerry Jones, always fancy themselves as contenders, this year has been completely lost. They’re now 5-8, without a quarterback, and carrying a defense that isn’t performing. The end of the season simply cannot come soon enough.
Then, there’s the Panthers. The NFL’s preeminent moribund franchise seemed to take an even uglier turn earlier this season when 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young was benched for Andy Dalton. Yet, Young returned to the lineup and appears like a new passer, far from his previous unconfident, rattled player. Though Carolina’s still mediocre, Young’s improved play at least gives it a purpose down the stretch.
With a pair of NFC teams colliding in Carolina on Sunday, check out our Cowboys vs. Panthers predictions, including our NFL picks against the spread, with kickoff set for December 15 at 1 p.m. ET.
Matchup Cowboys vs Panthers Overview
Teams: Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium
Current Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Cowboys | -105 | +1.5 (-110) | O43 (-110) |
| Panthers | -120 | -1.5 (-110) | U43 (-110) |
Why the Dallas Cowboys Can Cover
It’s quite an indictment of head coach Mike McCarthy and the entire Dallas Cowboys roster that they are the underdog in this spot. Even without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, a team that entered the 2024 season fancying itself as a genuine contender should not be an underdog against the Carolina Panthers.
Yet, it’s entirely justified. The Cowboys have rarely looked competitive since Cooper Rush took over under center for a Week 10 matchup against the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Two blowouts were at the hands of the Eagles and cross-state rival Houston Texans. A win over the Drew Lock-led New York Giants on Thanksgiving isn’t exactly indicative of anything. And, for as impressive as a win over the Washington Commanders in Week 12 was, their most recent loss is highly instructive. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, on Monday Night Football, showed what there is to be optimistic about in Dallas — and it’s not much at all.
Dallas’s season-long metrics are ugly. Its 22nd ranking in yards per drive suggests that it does not sustain drives regularly, and its 26th ranking in points per drive suggests an inability to finish drives. Other than force-feeding the electric CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys have often looked absent of any answers.
Though the Cowboys’ offense, especially since Rush took over, has been terrible, there’s finally a slight reason for positivity. In Week 14, they finally stopped the charade of Ezekiel Elliott and gave running back Rico Dowdle a full workload. The results were outstanding, as the former South Carolina Gamecock turned 18 carries into 131 yards. While the Cowboys’ passing game mustered an Expected Points Added of -4.31, its rushing attack was impactful, finishing with an EPA of +5.88.
A newfound running game gives the Cowboys at least the chance to manufacture offense and sustain drives. That, paired with a revitalized defense, is a reason for hope. After spending a large part of the season adrift, Mike Zimmer’s defense has found a spark since Micah Parsons returned from injury. Against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, Dallas’s defense totaled eight quarterback hits and a pair of sacks, profiting from the nine total pressures Parsons was credited for.
Though a rushing attack and a slightly feisty defense are decent launching points, it’s important to stay realistic here: the Cowboys are a team stuck in a backslide and rapidly running out of reasons to show any fight. They’re a mishmash collection of mentally checked out veterans, led by a coach who the sport left behind over a decade ago. If Dallas is to cover here, it’s because it was the lesser of two bad teams.
Why the Carolina Panthers Can Cover
While the Dallas Cowboys are playing out the string in what is a lost 2024 season, the Carolina Panthers recently found new life and have great reason to play their best ball down the stretch.
Since Bryce Young re-entered the lineup in late October, the Panthers have played some of their best competitive ball of the last several years. With Young continuing to fight for a third year as Carolina’s starter and another chance to continue his development, and head coach Dave Canales operating under the specter of David Tepper’s unpredictable ownership, the Panthers are incredibly incentivized to play well.
And, impressively, they’ve done just that. In season-long metrics, Carolina’s essentially a bottom five team on both sides of the ball across the board. However, in the weeks since Young’s taken over, it’s considerably more competitive.
Since Week 8, the Panthers have averaged 29.6 yards per drive. While that three-yard increase over their season-long mark seems insignificant, it’s the difference between a bottom three offense and one that’s hovering around league average. Similarly, while their season-long mark of 1.64 points per drive has them just outside the bottom five in the league, their 1.98 points per drive over the last six games would be good for 17th in the league.
Even the team’s scoring margin has grown to a place of decency. While Carolina’s season-long mark of -11.9 is dead last in the NFL, over this six-game stretch, it sits at -3.6. That, while still not good, is around the same range as the Dolphins, Colts, Rams, and Falcons — flawed, middling teams, but not outright bad teams.
The defense, meanwhile, has allowed 30+ points just once in that stretch — and it was exactly 30 to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a very tight game. That is a marked improvement from a unit that conceded an average of 34.7 points per game in its first seven games.
While the Cowboys remain in an ugly backslide, the Panthers are on the up and riding a wave of positive momentum. To cover this line, despite being the lesser team, they simply need to continue the positive play that’s marked the team since Halloween.
How to Make Cowboys vs. Panthers Picks
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