(Sent in private email last week)
Carolina + 3.5: Ok, let's see if Hale understands: the Panthers are 8-0 at their new stadium; they have a better record than Dallas (2 more games won); they have the #2 defense facing the #20-ranked Dallas offense... and they're the UNDERDOG?
Last week's Dallas pounding of the Vikings is probably the best thing that could have happened to the Carolina follower. It's raised expectations beyond reality. C'mon, let's face it. Dallas is favored here because of their reputation, not their present team. And now that Michael Irvin is in trouble AGAIN (isn't forced sex at gunpoint called "rape"?), the Dallas squad will be weakened and distracted. This Dallas team lost big to a Redskin squad while resting starters, almost lost to the Cardinals (eek!), lost to the Giants (ouch!), barely nudged a victory over the Falcons (my!)... hardly the team of the past that dominated the league. Throw in Anthony Johnson, the 1,000-yard rusher, up the middle at a Lett-less defense, and you're looking at trouble brewing for America's Convicts.
The past two seasons, Dallas is under-.500 as a RoadFav, and 1-3 if it's against a tough-caliber team. Also, you've got a Carolina team that has beat the spread by an average of almost 9 points, against Dallas who has scored 2.5 points below the spread. At home, the Panthers are even tougher: they average a 26-10 score in Carolina. Meanwhile, Dallas has been anemic on the road this season, and hasn't scored over 10 points on the road since Week 11 almost 2 months ago (6 vs. Giants, 10 vs. Cards, 10 vs. Redskins).
In short, the wrong team is laying points. Carolina should not only cover, but win this one outright. Hale calls for the "upset" as the impressive Panthers stop Dallas from becoming the first team to start a season 1-3 and win a Super Bowl. Now, Irvin can get back to focussing on what's REALLY important: his probation. Carolina.