When NFL schedule makers squared away Dallas-Carolina for Monday Night Football, online sports betting fans were undoubtedly excited; these are two of the NFC's best squads. But, just two weeks into the season and major leaks springing on both teams, much of the luster has worn off, especially on Carolina's side of the equation.

Panthers at Cowboys, Monday, Sept. 28 – 8:30 p.m. ET

NFL betting line: Cowboys -8.5

Pick: Panthers +8.5, Cowboys straight up

Dallas fans were very excited after Tony Romo's Week 1 explosion, but he fell back to earth and then some against the Giants last week. Calling Romo's play "poor" is generous, and the only reason the Cowboys managed to keep up with New York was a superb running game (251 yards and three touchdowns). Unfortunately, that could take a hit this week with Marion Barber (18 for 124 against NYG) suffering from a quad injury. That said, the Cowboys have great depth in the backfield and shouldn't fall off too much without their bruising back.

On the other side of the football, Dallas has been underwhelming at best. The Giants racked up 33 points and over 400 yards of offense last week, while the Buccaneers managed 174 yards on the ground in Week 1. DaMarcus Ware notched six tackles against the G-Men but he's yet to record a sack, which is truly frustrating after he racked up 20 a season ago. Many, in fact, expected him to challenge the single-season record.

If the Cowboys are miffed about their slow start, we're betting management in Carolina is downright furious. Jake Delhomme's opening-week disaster has been well documented but he rebounded somewhat last week, throwing for 300 yards and cutting his turnovers from five to one. Still, the Panthers are only averaging 15 points per game this season and their vaunted running game must get untracked. DeAngelo Williams has 116 yards rushing so far this season; last year, the talented back averaged 94 yards per outing.

The biggest concern on defense in Carolina is rushing the quarterback. There's simply been no push up front, which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the rest of the unit. The Panthers have recorded just two sacks this season and are rarely around the opposing passer. If that isn't rectified soon, it won't matter if the offense returns to its past performance.

Both teams have something to prove this weekend but, at the end of the day, Dallas is the more talented squad. Carolina's running game should be effective against the Cowboys, keeping this game close. But Dallas has yet to record a takeaway or sack this season; that dam has to break sometime, and there's no better opportunity than against Jake "The Turnover Machine" Delhomme. In NFL Week 3 matchups, the Panthers cover, but Dallas wins.