Panthers vs Cowboys Monday Night Football Odds: The reeling Carolina Panthers will attempt to get on track tonight in the Big D, but they will be facing a Cowboys squad trying to get the stain of a Giants victory out of their new football palace. The two NFC rivals will kick things off at 8:30pm ET this evening on ESPN's Monday Night Football. NFL Predictions at BetUS.com have Dallas listed as a rather large -8.5 against the spread favorite.
Panthers Breakdown: Carolina had a horrendous season opener, losing 38-10 at home to Philadelphia after turning the ball 
over seven times. They rebounded, if a road loss to a division foe can be considered a rebound, last week falling 20-28 to Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. Quarterback Jake Delhomme, after throwing for 73 yards and four interceptions in week one, completed 25-of-41 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown. Delhomme's bounce back gave the Panthers the advantage in first downs, third down conversions, total yards, and pass yards.
However, an interception late in the fourth quarter ruined a potential game tying 51 yard drive. That critical error has the Louisiana native's already singed backside hovering over John Fox's homemade hot seat.
The Carolina ground attack, which did nothing against Philly, racked up 144 yards versus the Falcons at 5.8 yards per carry. DeAngelo Williams led the way with a 16 carry, 79 yard, one touchdown performance.
The Panthers defense still appears to be finding its way, giving up an average of 33 points and 319 yards per game through the first two contests. Granted, those numbers are inflated some, particularly the points, due to all the turnovers against the Eagles. But the team has had zero pass rush thus far, generating just two sacks and one quarterback hit.
Cowboys Breakdown: The Giants spoiled the Cowboys stadium christening last Sunday night and they did it in the cruelest manner possible, with a last second field goal. Lawrence Tynes booted a 37 yard game winner with no time left on the clock, giving New York a 33-31 win.
Quarterback Tony Romo was instrumental in the loss, completing just 13-of-29 passes for 127 yards, a touchdown and three picks. The rushing attack kept Dallas in the game, though, racking up 251 yards (8.7 yards per carry) as Marion Barber and Felix Jones combined for 220 yards and two scores. Barber is listed as questionable in tonight's game, but Dallas has indicated his participation is highly unlikely.
The Dallas defense gave up 427 yards to New York in the loss, but they did do a few things well. The Giants were 0-5 in red zone scoring opportunities and they averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. But, once again, the Cowboys failed to record a sack for a second straight week. The extra time has allowed opposing quarterbacks to pick apart the Dallas secondary, which is yielding an average of 303 yards per game through the first two weeks of the season.
Game Notes: The big line in this game would seem to be based on the Cowboys motivation to get a win at their new digs. But it certainly has an inflated feel based upon the talent level of the two teams. Remember, Carolina was 12-4 last year while the Cowboys came in at 9-7. The Panthers showing against the Eagles was an aberration as nothing can be gleaned from a contest where one player is responsible for five turnovers (except that that player had a really bad game). Dallas will need another Delhomme puke job to get this spread covered. The likehood of that happening is about the same as Tony Romo repeating his performance from Sunday night's loss to the Giants.
BetUS.com Monday Night Football: Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys NFL Predictions, Picks & Odds
Carolina Panthers +8.5 (-110), Over 48 (-110), +305 (Moneyline)
Dallas Cowboys -8.5 (-110), Under 48 (-110), -375 (Moneyline)
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