Though the Carolina Panthers don't play the Dallas Cowboys until Sunday, they have already earned one notable achievement this week.
For the first time in exactly two years, the Panthers are favored to win an NFL game.
That's right: the Panthers, who are 2.5-point favorites against Dallas, have previously been underdogs in every single one of their past 33 matchups. The last time they were favored was Week 15 of the 2022 season, when they played the Pittsburgh Steelers and promptly lost 24-16.
With the Cowboys decimated by injuries while the Panthers have been markedly more competitive in recent weeks, this seems a good time for that streak to end. Carolina has taken one-possession losses in each of its past three contests, all to playoff-level opponents.
Quarterback Bryce Young, the top overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has finally begun to show signs of living up to his hype while Chuba Hubbard has been a revelation in the backfield this season. For the first time in several seasons, it seems as if there may be hope for the future in Carolina.
If the Panthers win and cover the spread on Sunday, it will be the first time they've done so as favorites since September of 2021 against the Houston Texans. The Panthers won that Week 3 matchup 24-9, improving them to 3-0 on the season. That may have been the last time they were considered a competitive franchise.
Attention regarding football in North Carolina this week is mostly centered around legendary coach Bill Belichick's surprising move to Chapel Hill. But it could be the Panthers who are slowly climbing out of the darkness.
