They may be in the "easiest" division in today's NFL, but the Carolina Panthers may have a difficult path towards defending their NFC South title in 2026. Thanks to their first-place finish in 2025, head coach Dave Canales and his crew are set to face the third-toughest schedule this upcoming season.
That journey begins on Sunday—when the Panthers welcome in the Chicago Bears, the reigning NFC North champions, for their opener. And based off the opinions of some who know the game best, that journey might get off to a losing start.
Here are the expert picks for the Week 1 matchup between the Panthers and Bears . . .
USA Today Sports
Panthers (2): Jarrett Bell, Nick Brinkerhoff
Bears (4): Chris Bumbaca, Nate Davis, Adam Kaufman, Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz
NFL Media
Panthers (3):
Colleen Wolfe, Kevin Patra, Brooke Cersosimo
Bears (7): Grant Gordon, Lance Zierlein, Bucky Brooks, Tom Grossi, Brandon Perna, Nick Shook, Dan Parr
ESPN
Panthers (0):
Bears (11): Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Kalyn Kahler, Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody, Jason Reid, Benjamin Solak, Lindsey Thiry, Seth Wickersham
CBS Sports
Panthers (0):
Bears (7): Pete Prisco, Jared Dubin, Ryan Wilson, John Breech, Tyler Sullivan, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg
Pro Football Talk
Panthers (0):
Bears (1): Mike Florio
Sports Illustrated
Panthers (1): John Pluym
Bears (7): Albert Breer, Eva Geitheim, Mitch Goldich, Mike Kadlick, Gilberto Manzano, Conor Orr, Matt Verderame
Total
Panthers: 6
Bears: 37
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL expert picks for Panthers vs. Bears in Week 1
