Who will win the Panthers-Cowboys game? Our predictions & betting advice
Two home games. Two wins.
With the Dallas Cowboys up next.
The Carolina Panthers (2-3) will put their perfect home record to the test against the Cowboys (2-2-1) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 1 p.m. Sunday.
And such a test could be tricky — even before you account for the fact that the Panthers are 12-3 all-time against the Cowboys in regular-season contests.
The Panthers are fresh off a come-from-behind 27-24 win over Miami. That came by virtue of a career day from running back Rico Dowdle — who is facing his old team Sunday — and a defense that looked simply like a different team in the second half.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are among the most explosive teams in the NFL at the moment. Quarterback Dak Prescott was second in the league in passing yards after Week 5 with 1,356 through five games — and he’s matched that with 10 touchdowns to only three interceptions, even with the ankle injury to star receiver CeeDee Lamb.
This Dallas defense, however, could spell opportunity for this Panthers offense. Some intriguing stats: The Cowboys give up 30.8 points per game (29th in the NFL), 412 yards per game (32nd) and have the worst third-down defense in the league (54.93% conversion rate).
All this considered: Who will win?
Here’s a one-stop shop for all you need to know ahead of the Panthers’ contest with the Cowboys. Below you’ll find game predictions from Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow, as well as from columnist Scott Fowler. Everything else — from betting lines to broadcast information — is here, too.
How to watch, listen, follow Panthers-Cowboys
The Panthers-Cowboys game will be televised on FOX. Adam Amin will be in the booth calling play-by-play, with Panthers legend Greg Olsen as the analyst and Pam Oliver on the sideline.
Fans can also catch the game on the radio at WRFX 99.7 FM and hear the voices of Anish Shroff, Luke Kuechly, Jake Delhomme and Kristen Balboni. Check out the Carolina Panthers Radio Network for your regional radio channels. Spanish radio, as always, will be on WXNC 97.3 FM / 1060 AM with the voices of Jaime Moreno and Antonio Ramos.
Panthers-Cowboys inactives
The Panthers listed seven players as inactive after elevating CB Keion Crossen and OT Brandon Walton from the practice squad. Five of those players were dealing with an injury heading into the weekend, but only TE Ja’Tavion Sanders was listed as a game-time decision heading into Sunday:
Panthers inactives:
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (ankle), CB Akayleb Evans (hamstring), RB Chuba Hubbard (calf), DT Tershawn Wharton (toe), RT Taylor Moton (elbow), S Trevian Thomas, DT Jaden Crumedy
Cowboys inactives:
WR CeeDee Lamb (ankle), KR KaVontae Turpin (foot), LB Jack Sanborn (concussion), DT Mazi Smith, OL Ajani Cornelius, G Tyler Booker
Betting info: Cowboys favored over Panthers
The Panthers weren’t favored in any of their games through the first five weeks. That trend persists. Carolina is a 3-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Panthers’ moneyline is +128, as of Sunday morning, and the over/under for the contest is 48.5 — so a shootout is expected.
The Panthers are 3-2 against the spread. Those three came thanks to their two team wins and then their close loss to the Cardinals. The Cowboys, similarly, are 3-2 against the spread.
Some other bets you might find compelling Sunday:
- Rushing Yards — Rico Dowdle. Might as well not be shy about the primary story line of this game. Dowdle, fresh off a 200-plus-yard rushing performance, is going up against his old team. He told the Cowboys they’re going to need to “buckle up” because he’s coming for another big day. Will one arrive? The line for his rushing yards is 72.5 yards. He’s getting the start with Chuba Hubbard out, and the Cowboys allow 127.4 rushing yards per game on average. This one might be fun to take the over.
- First Drive Receiving Yards — Jake Ferguson. Expect a big game from Ferguson, the Cowboys’ tight end who leads all tight ends in targets through five contests. (In fact, he’s fourth in the league — all positions included — in targets.) And such prolific usage spells good things against the Panthers, who have struggled defending tight ends and running backs in the passing game this year. Ferguson’s lines for receiving yards on the team’s first drive: 5+ yards (+136), 10+ yards (+260), 15+ yards (+430) and 20+ yards (+680).
- Anytime Touchdown Scorers — Tetairoa McMillan. This will be a discussion point until the Panthers’ great rookie receiver notches his first NFL receiving touchdown. McMillan understands it; he addressed it with reporters this week, admitting he tries not to think about it. McMillan is 10th in targets in the NFL for the season, the only receiver in that Top 10 without a score. Statistically, he’s due soon. The lines for if that score could come Sunday: Anytime (+150), First TD (+900), Last TD (+900).
Game predictions
All three of our predictors guessed last week that the Panthers would lose to the Miami Dolphins. All were wrong. That moves Fowler to 4-1 on the year, with Kaye and Zietlow each at 1-4.
Fowler: Panthers 30, Dallas 27. The Cowboys are known for playing entertaining games this season due to a high-powered offense and low-level defense. I think Carolina pulls the mild upset here, with Bryce Young playing about as well as Dak Prescott and Carolina’s running game providing the difference. Bonus prediction: Tetairoa McMillan scores his first NFL TD.
Kaye: Cowboys 33, Panthers 30. The top offense in the league is likely to come out firing on Sunday, as Dallas looks to get over the .500 hump after five games (including one tie). Will the Panthers be able to keep pace? I actually think they will, for the most part. There’s a lot of boom-or-bust to the Cowboys’ defense, and while the unit is starting to find its footing, I think Bryce Young will still have a good afternoon. Look for Tetairoa McMillan to catch his first touchdown pass in a shootout. But I still think Dallas has a better brand of ball at the moment.
Zietlow: Cowboys 35, Panthers 31. I look at the Cowboys’ league-worst third-down percentage as a defense and can’t help but feel some optimism. Tag that with the other opportunities this defense could allow for Bryce Young, and a motivated Rico Dowdle, and a refreshed Xavier Legette ... and there’s excitement, for sure.
Still, the Cowboys have gone toe-to-toe with the NFL’s best this season. Their quarterback is electric. Their tight end is prolific. Their defensive secondary is due for one of its patented turnover bonanzas. And to top it all off ... the Panthers will have a “home field advantage” in name only. There will be a lot of Cowboys fans in the crowd. A lot. It just doesn’t add up to a Panthers win to me. I’m rolling with America’s Team.
This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
