-
David Newton, ESPN writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Barring a dramatic late move on the betting line, the Carolina Panthers will be favored to win on Sunday for the first time since Week 15 of the 2022 season, when they host the Dallas Cowboys.
That would end a streak of 33 consecutive games as a loser, the sixth-longest by any team since the 1970 merger and the longest streak in franchise history. It’s the longest drought since the 2012-14 Jaguars.
The Panthers (3-10) are 2-point favorites against the Cowboys (5-8), according to ESPN BET. If the gap holds, it will be the first time since Dec. 18, 2022, when they were three-point favorites against the favored Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
They lost to the Steelers 24-16.
Carolina is on a streak against the spread, covering five consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. They closed as a 13.5-point underdog against the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s 22-16 loss.
A big reason has been the recent play of quarterback Bryce Young, the top pick in the 2023 draft.
Young’s total QBR (60.0) since Week 9 ranks 13th in the NFL, ahead of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Washington’s Jayden Daniels, Denver’s Bo Nix, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and the other NFL quarterbacks. the NFC South, to name a few.
That’s a big jump from Young’s NFL-worst 9.9 QBR in the first two games, which contributed to him being benched in favor of Andy Dalton.
If Young and the Panthers remain favorites against Dallas and cover, it will be the first time they have done so since September 23, 2021, when they defeated the Houston Texans 24-9 as 9-point favorites.
