Below, bettors can find NFL odds and a Panthers vs Bears prediction for their Week 1 meeting.
The NFC clash has seen an influx of bets on both teams scoring points. After the over/under opened at 45.5 points, the line currently sits at 47.5 points.
Panthers vs Bears Odds: Spread, Moneyline & Over/Under
Bears vs Panthers Prediction
Based on Chicago’s success running the ball last year and Carolina’s defensive struggles against good rushing teams, my Panthers vs Bears prediction is the Bears Over 24.5 Points.
My only real concern here is how high the bar is set for a Week 1 game. Last year, the Bears opened with a 24-point performance against Minnesota that included a defensive score.
Ben Johnson’s offense peaked late in the 2025 season. Chicago finished ninth in offensive DVOA and fifth in weighted DVOA, which places increased emphasis on later games.
Most impressively, the Bears ranked third in rush offense DVOA. In Johnson’s debut season, Chicago posted a 9.1% rushing rating, only 4.4% behind the second-place Bills.
Buffalo finished the season as a superior offense to Chicago. Still, if the Bills’ offensive performance against Carolina serves as a hint, Chicago could explode offensively.
Buffalo scored 40 points in Week 8 off their bye week. As a team, the offense amassed 245 rushing yards with James Cook averaging 11.4 yards per attempt.
Slightly inferior offenses than Chicago produced success against Carolina, too. Jacksonville opened the season by scoring 26 points at home while Seattle added 27 in Week 17.
Both saw dominant rushing performances from Travis Etienne and Zach Charbonnet.
If you expand the sample size for Carolina’s defense, the scoring outputs take a further step back.
Last year, the unit played eight games against teams that finished the season with a positive DVOA rating. Six of those teams scored at least 26 points, with two scoring 40 or more.
One additional concern exists with the Panthers defense: their record against tight ends. Last year, the unit ranked 30th in DVOA against the position, allowing the 10th-most yards.
It could lead to a strong Colston Loveland showing paired with consistently good rushing metrics.
Those factors lead me to believe Chicago’s offense starts well against an inferior opponent.
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