Bears vs Panthers Prediction, Picks & Odds

Our Bears vs Panthers prediction backs Chicago. The Bears begin their NFL season at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, September 13, one of eight games in the early window. Squawka Signal’s current read, and where the value sits, appears in the block directly below. Similarly, Signal rates the full Week 1 slate.

Chicago won 11 of 17 last season and Carolina took a division at 8-9. However, the Panthers finished with a negative differential and the Bears did not.

Carolina scored 311 points in 2025, the fewest of any team in this fixture. Chicago’s secondary, meanwhile, intercepted 23 passes.

Squawka Signal · Model read

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers

Week 1 · Sun Sep 13, 1:00 PM ET. Our Signal model makes the Chicago Bears favourites by about 3 points, a 62% win probability.

Chicago BearsWin prob62%

Carolina PanthersWin prob38%

Projected lineChicago Bears -3

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Squawka Signal is our model’s read, updated after every result — not betting advice. How the NFL Signal works. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON). Full T&Cs & geo-restrictions apply: bet365.

Week 1 · Editorial pick

Bears vs Panthers: our editor’s props

Two editorial calls to sit alongside the live Signal numbers above.

AT

Our props

Player propBryce Young under 1.5 passing touchdownsCarolina converted just 53.3% of red-zone trips last season and scored 311 points. Chicago took the ball away 23 times, moreover, the highest total in this fixture.

★★★★★confidence

Anytime touchdownD’Andre SwiftSwift ran for 1,087 yards behind a line that allowed only 24 sacks. Carolina conceded 4.38 yards a carry by contrast.

★★★★★confidence

An editorial call, not a Signal model output. 19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Please play responsibly.

Bears vs Panthers: 2025 season form

Chicago finished 11-6 at plus 26. Carolina won the NFC South at 8-9, however, with a differential of minus 69.

Two rows separate them. Chicago made 23 interceptions to Carolina’s total, and the Panthers’ 311 points were the fewest here. Consequently the turnover battle is where this is decided.

Bears vs Panthers injury report and team news

This section updates as soon as the Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags appear. For now, both sides expect their first-choice quarterbacks.

Caleb Williams starts for Chicago. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III lead the receivers, meanwhile, with Cole Kmet alongside Colston Loveland at tight end and D’Andre Swift in the backfield.

Bryce Young starts for Carolina, and Tetairoa McMillan is the primary target after 1,014 receiving yards. Xavier Legette fills in behind him, moreover, with Chuba Hubbard leading a rebuilt run game.

Injury report · Week 1Official game-status report — updates through the week

Chicago Bears

No game-status designations filed yet.

Carolina Panthers

No game-status designations filed yet.

The matchup that settles it: Chicago’s ball-hawking secondary against Bryce Young

Chicago intercepted 23 passes in 2025. That is the profile of a defence which gambles and gets rewarded more often than not.

The Panthers are the natural victim of it. Young threw 12 interceptions, the Panthers converted 36.1% of third downs, and 311 points followed.

Still, Carolina won a division. Their defence conceded 4.38 yards a carry, however, which is exactly the soft edge Swift exploits.

Players to watch

• Caleb Williams (CHI, QB): 3,942 passing yards, notably behind a line that allowed 24 sacks.
• D’Andre Swift (CHI, RB): 1,087 rushing yards against a defence conceding 4.38 a carry.
• Montez Sweat (CHI, DL): 10 sacks last season for a defence that took the ball away 23 times.
• Tetairoa McMillan (CAR, WR): 1,014 receiving yards, indeed Carolina’s clearest route to points.
• Bryce Young (CAR, QB): 3,011 passing yards, though with 12 interceptions.

How to watch Bears vs Panthers

The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. CTV shows a Sunday afternoon game in each region, meanwhile, and RDS carries the French-language coverage. Because the CTV pick is regional, DAZN is the reliable route to this particular game through NFL Game Pass. Our full guide to watching the NFL in Canada sets out every window. Squawka may earn a commission if you subscribe through that link.

Bears vs Panthers prediction and score projection

Our Bears vs Panthers prediction is a Chicago win. Twenty-three interceptions against a quarterback who threw 12 is a difficult combination for Carolina to survive.

Notably, Signal currently puts Chicago at 62% and Carolina at 38%, with a projected line of Chicago Bears -3.

The Panthers do hold home field and a division title. Nevertheless they scored 311 points across seventeen games, and that is the number that limits them.

So we will take the Bears, 24-17. Which side carries the value, though, is a separate question from who wins, and the live read on that sits in the Signal block.

Signal rates every game on our NFL picks page. Meanwhile the title race is priced through Super Bowl LXI odds, with both conferences on the NFC and AFC Championship pages. Finally, player markets sit with our NFL player props coverage, and kickoff is confirmed on NFL.com.

Bears vs Panthers FAQ

19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC) | Please play responsibly | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) | Signal probabilities and odds approximate at time of writing and subject to change