Chicago's 2025 season produced plenty of memorable finishes. Now comes the harder part. Doing it again.
Caleb Williams enters Year 3 after helping the Bears reach the postseason in head coach Ben Johnson's first season, but Chicago's offense looks different after trading DJ Moore. Wideouts Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III move into larger roles alongside tight end Colston Loveland, while the Bears return an experienced offensive line built around Joe Thuney and Darnell Wright.
Carolina isn't the rebuilding pushover it was a couple of years ago, either.
The Panthers improved from two wins to five and then eight, earning a playoff spot last season under Dave Canales. Now they believe Bryce Young is ready for another step forward. Tetairoa McMillan
is coming off a standout rookie season that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Panthers also upgraded the middle of their defense with Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke, while Derrick Brown anchors the front. That group will be challenged by an offense whose defining trait last season was resilience.
Chicago repeatedly found ways to win close games, often after trailing late. That's difficult to reproduce year after year. The Panthers haven't beaten the Bears since 2014 and are just 3-9 against them all-time, but this version of Carolina is far more equipped to make Chicago earn it.
This one should tell us plenty about which team's 2025 progress was built to last.
Bears at Panthers live odds
Opening Lines
- Spread: Bears -2.5
- Moneyline: Bears -142; Panthers +120
- Over/Under: 45.5
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Bears at Panthers picks against the spread
Adam Kaufman: Bears -2.5
Even in Carolina, where the Panthers were 6-2 ATS as home underdogs with five outright wins in 2025, this Bears team is too talented. 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.
Tom Viera: Panthers +2.5
D'Andre Swift will impact this one along with Colston Loveland, but I love Carolina's additions of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd. The Bears' defense has several question marks, which will let Carolina keep this one close late.
Richard Morin: Bears -2.5
Look, the vibes are way down in Bears Land. But they're still the better team and should cover the spread against the Panthers.
Where to watch Bears at Panthers
- Matchup: Panthers vs. Bears
- Date: Sept. 13
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- TV: Fox
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panthers vs Bears predictions, picks, odds for NFL Week 1 game
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