Cowboys vs. Panthers Betting Odds and Predictions - NFL Week 6.

Rumbling into Charlotte: Are the Cowboys Walking into a Trap?

A Dallas Cowboys team still finding its identity in the post-Micah Parsons era head to Charlotte for a make-or-break Week 6 game with a Panthers team full of newfound bravado. Both enter with victories, but the narratives with them couldn’t be more diverse. It’s surviving in stardom-absent Dallas, while it’s validating their recent victories as the new norm in Carolina.

The Boys are favorites by the smallest of margins, with Vegas installing the spread at a touchdown, but the "any given Sunday" refrain is ringing louder than usual heading into Week 6's bout. The Cowboys offense, led by Dak Prescott, is technically in "next man up" protocol. 

The week's largest question mark is the availability of super-wire receiver CeeDee Lamb. Sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since Week 3, Lamb was observed performing rehab activities on a side field Wednesday, fanning hopes of a return. Still, he is a game-time decision, at best. Without him, the Cowboys have leaned on new acquisition George Pickens and a committee of role players. 

Defensively, Dallas is a far cry from the game-wrecking unit of the past. After trading Parsons to the Packers in a stunning preseason blockbuster, the defense has been inconsistent and ranks near the bottom of the league in pass defense. Journeyman James Houston has been a pleasant surprise with 3.5 sacks, but the unit as a whole lacks the fear factor it once had.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are feeling good after running back Rico Dowdle—a former Cowboy until this season—was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 206-yard performance in their comeback win against Miami. The backfield situation is this week's top story. Starter Chuba Hubbard was injured in the calf and didn't practice Wednesday, so Dowdle is likely to make the start for the old team.

The Panthers seek to take advantage of a leaky Cowboys secondary that gives up more than 280 pass attempts for a game. Bryce Young is in an ideal situation to ride momentum from last week. With oddsmakers setting the over/under at a high 49.5 points and the Cowboys favored by just 7, Vegas is banking on a high-scoring affair where Dallas’s offense may not be able to outgun its defensive liabilities.

The O-line has been erratic, and they've got Parsons in front of them, who also let the press know this week that he's "looking to eat." The Panthers would then want to set up some sort of fast, short screen pass type of deal in hopes of countering the Cowboys' savage pass rush. Pay close attention to rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, who's been the lone bright spot, to see if he can squeak out some running lanes and keep the Dallas offense off the field. 

This one's got all the ingredients of a classic "trap game" if the Boys show up too full of themselves.