Bank of America Stadium has been in the news twice this week for good reasons — reasons that will one day deliver the city of Charlotte a lot of joy.
Could that come true again Sunday?
The Carolina Panthers (1-8) host the Dallas Cowboys (6-3) on the uptown venue’s turf at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fans can catch the game on FOX with their star-studded cast calling the game: Play-by-play guy Kevin Burkhardt will be alongside color commentator and Panthers legend Greg Olsen in the booth, with Tom Rinaldi and Erin Andrews as sideline reporters.
Fans can also listen to Anish Shroff, Jake Delhomme, Luke Kuechly, Sharon Thorsland and Jim Szoke on the radio on WRFX 99.7 FM. (Check the Panthers’ radio network for your area channels.)
Vegas sportsbooks saw the Panthers open as 10-point underdogs. But what do NFL experts around the country — and those at your local newspaper — think? Check that out below.
OBSERVER WRITERS PREDICT CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS
Keeping accountable, columnist Scott Fowler made this season-long race a bit closer after predicting a Panthers win a week ago, but he still has a commanding lead over the field with a 7-2 record. Mike Kaye, Alex Zietlow and Langston Wertz Jr. all sit at 5-4 heading into Week 11.
Scott Fowler: Cowboys 37, Panthers 16. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, Dallas sure seems like a good bet to cover the point spread in this one. The Panthers, playing before a “home” crowd that will likely be 70% Dallas fans (and maybe more than that), will show a couple of signs of life. I don’t think it’s going to be a 45-0 rout. But if Carolina isn’t going to beat the Chicago Bears and Tyson Bagent, they sure aren’t going to beat the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott.
Mike Kaye: Cowboys 31, Panthers 17. Frank Reich is back in charge of offensive play-calling, and while that may make some difference on the scoreboard this weekend, it won’t change the results of the majority of this campaign. The Cowboys are an offensive juggernaut and Carolina can’t compete in a shootout. Bryce Young needs to watch out for Cowboys defensive back DaRon Bland, who is second in the league with five interceptions and first in the NFL with three pick-6s.
Alex Zietlow: Cowboys 28, Panthers 10. I’m not doing it. Not again. I gave my vote of confidence to the Panthers last week when they played a moribund Bears team reeling from injury and got burned for it. Learned my lesson. I still believe in rookie quarterback Bryce Young in the long run, and I still render it unwise to call Frank Reich a subpar coach — considering his CV and past play-calling prowess and how he’s handled this difficult year like a professional. But these Panthers? Against these red-hot Cowboys, with names like Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard? Nope. No way.
WHAT ESPN, CBS, THE RINGER THINK
ESPN: The ESPN group of nine panelists overwhelming favor one team in this one. There are no surprises.
CBS: Pete Prisco correctly called the Panthers’ offense “anemic” and expects a blowout Cowboy win in this one.
The Ringer: Sheil Kapadia chose America’s team, acknowledging that “the NFL is weird” but ultimately admitting that “this game feels like one of the biggest talent disparities of any matchup this season.”
