The expert picks for Panthers-Bears in Week 1 lean heavily toward Chicago, but they also leave the door open just enough to make Carolina interesting.
Across the board, the Bears are the favorite choice. John Breech of CBS Sports had Chicago winning 24-21, and the rest of the CBS group went along with him.
USA Today was also largely on the Bears, with Adam Kaufman calling for a Bears win and a cover, and Richard Mora on the same side. Tom Viera, though, took Carolina to cover the 2.5-point spread.
Kaufman pointed to Ben Johnson’s stated ambition for the Bears’ offense, writing, "Ben Johnson has discussed chasing the NFL's scoring record this season. There's no chance of that if you don't beat up on the bad teams and, rest assured, the Panthers are still a bad team."
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox also backed Chicago, while The Athletic’s Vic Tafur went the other way and liked the Panthers to cover. Tafur tied that pick to both the Week 1 volatility and a few Chicago concerns, writing, "We’re all for Week 1 shenanigans, and we’re calling for some immediate regression here, as the Bears won six games last season where they trailed with two minutes or less remaining.
The Panthers added pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd, and the Bears are a little gimpy at receiver coming out of the gate. Home dog, please,"
For The Win’s entire staff picked the Bears. SI’s Iain MacMillan made Carolina his upset special, saying, "I'd be lying if I said I think the Panthers are the better team, but with them being set as home underdogs in an unpredictable Week 1, I'll take a chance on Carolina upsetting the team I most expect to take a step back in 2026,"
Sporting News took the opposite view in a bigger way, with Vinnie Iyer predicting a Bears blowout. "Ben Johnson's offense will jump into overdrive out of the gate and around Bryce Young, the Panthers simply don't have the firepower to keep up with Caleb Williams," he wrote.
Taken together, the picks say this much: Chicago is the clear favorite, but Carolina isn’t being written off completely. The Bears are an 11-6 team that many expect to improve again, while the Panthers are coming off an 8-9 season with a negative point differential. Still, injuries matter, regression is a real concern for Chicago, and Carolina gets to play at home.
The majority is on the Bears, and that makes sense. But a Panthers win would not be the wildest outcome on the Week 1 board.
In Other News...
Panthers Open Week 1 With Early Absences They Cant Ignore
A light practice report can still tell a useful story this time of year, and Carolinas latest one came with a few reminders that the roster is already being tested. Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Trevor Etienne, Nic Scourton and Chris Brazzell are all expected to miss significant time, leaving the Panthers to sort through early depth questions before the season has even settled into its rhythm.
The team tried to keep the train moving with a set of practice squad additions, bringing in linebacker Tyrel Dodson, guard Chandler Zavala and outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon. Those moves help fill out the numbers, but they also underline how quickly Week 1 can turn into a balancing act when injuries start stacking up and the lineup has to be adjusted on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Still Have One Big Week 1 Decision Left To Make
The Panthers final injury report for Week 1 brought some clarity before Sundays matchup with the Bears. Jonathon Brooks and Bobby Brown were full participants in practice and appear set to go without any restrictions, while Patrick Jones is out because of injury. So for a roster that has spent much of the week sorting through availability, there is at least a cleaner picture on the field than there was a few days ago.
Darren Waller is the name still hanging over the decision-making. Physically, he is ready to play, but the coach has not yet said whether he will be activated for the opener, leaving one notable question unresolved heading into kickoff. For Carolina, it is the kind of late-week call that can shape how the game plan looks and whether the offense gets one more layer of depth against Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kuechly Just Gave Panthers Fans A New Reason To Watch
Luke Kuechlys post-playing career just took another noticeable step, and Panthers fans had a reason to tune in. The former Carolina linebacker, now a Pro Football Hall of Famer, made his debut as a color commentator on Netflixs NFL broadcast for the 49ers-Rams game in Australia, a stage that came with plenty of visibility and not much room for a soft landing.
Even with limited broadcasting experience, Kuechly drew widespread praise from viewers and analysts for how he handled the assignment. He is scheduled to call three more NFL games for Netflix this season, giving Carolina fans a fresh way to keep up with one of the defining players of the franchises modern era. [Read more 🡒]