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Panthers vs. Bears: Odds, predictions, stats and betting trends for Week 5

Everything you need to know before the Panthers visit Soldier Field.

By Terrence Jordan

The Bears will look to keep the good times rolling against the Panthers on Sunday.
The Bears will look to keep the good times rolling against the Panthers on Sunday. / Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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The Chicago Bears are 2-2 and feeling positive after a well-played win over the Rams last Sunday. The defense has carried the heaviest load through four games, but the offense has shown signs of pulling its weight of late. Caleb Williams has progressed every Sunday, and now with the Carolina Panthers set to visit Soldier Field, he'll get the chance to continue his development against arguably the worst defense in the NFL.

The Panthers are not a good team, but they have been playing better since benching Bryce Young in favor of former Bear Andy Dalton. Dalton has sparked what was once a putrid offense, and both Chuba Hubbard and Diontae Johnson have thrived with him under center.

Carolina has scored 60 points in its last two games, a win over the Raiders and a loss to the previously winless Bengals. Going against this Bears defense will be a much stiffer test, though, as Chicago has allowed less than 19 points per game through the first four weeks.

Panthers vs. Bears: What you need to know

Bears fans have been sadistically looking forward to this game as yet another indignity to visit upon the Panthers for the lopsided trade that landed Bryce Young in Carolina in the first place. Barring injury, Young isn't expected to play, but the players who do see the field will still serve as relentless reminders that the Panthers got taken to the cleaners by Ryan Poles.

Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson and Tory Taylor are all Bears thanks to that fateful trade, and all five will be extremely important if the Bears hope to not only win this game but make a push toward the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

Carolina hasn't beaten Chicago in 10 years, with the Bears owning three wins in that time. The Panthers did win the most significant matchup in the 12-game history between the franchises, a 29-21 playoff game back in 2006 that Bears and Panthers fans alike will remember as "The Steve Smith Game."

The Bears still own the Panthers' second-round pick in the 2025 draft, which means that not only will a win help them stay competitive in the rough and tumble NFC North, it will also hurt the Panthers, thereby making that draft pick that much more valuable.

How to watch Panthers vs. Bears live

  • Date: Sunday, Oct. 6
  • Time: 1:00 pm Eastern
  • Site: Soldier Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • TV/Streaming: FOX, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, NFL+

Latest game odds for Panthers vs. Bears in Week 4

The latest odds as of Friday, Oct. 4 via FanDuel:

  • Money line: Panthers (+168), Bears (-200)
  • Spread: Panthers +3.5 (-102), Bears -3.5 (-120)
  • Total: Over 41.5 (-105), Under 41.5 (-115)

Panthers vs. Bears team stats and betting trends

  • The Panthers are 1-3 against the spread this season, while the Bears are 3-1.
  • The Panthers have hit the over three out of four times, while the Bears hit the under in every game until going over by half a point last week.
  • The Bears are 2-0 at home this year. The Panthers lost by 37 points at New Orleans to open the season, but beat the Raiders in Las Vegas 36-22 in Week 3.
  • The last time the Panthers scored 60 points in a two-game stretch was back in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2022 season. DJ Moore was their leading receiver in both games.
  • Andy Dalton played for the Bears in 2021 but has an 0-2 record when facing them. The Bears are one of only three teams he has never beaten (the Cowboys and Panthers are the other two).
  • Two of the four times Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has run for 100 yards in a game have occurred in the past two weeks. The Bears allowed 110 rushing yards to Jonathan Taylor in Week 3 and 94 rushing yards to Kyren Williams in Week 4.
  • Caleb Williams is the second straight Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback the Panthers will face after going against Joe Burrow of the Bengals last week, but he won't be the last. Carolina will also have to deal with Jayden Daniels, Baker Mayfield (twice) and Kyler Murray later in the year.
  • DJ Moore has 22 receptions for 189 yards and a touchdown on the year. He had five catches for 58 yards in his only previous game against his former team, a 16-13 Bears win last year.
  • The Panthers are last in the NFL in points allowed per game with 32.3 and bottom six in yards allowed.
  • The last time the Bears were 3-2 through five games was in 2021.

Player news and injuries

Several injured Bears are trending in the right direction to play this weekend. Teven Jenkins and DeAndre Carter were both limited participants in practice on Thursday after receiving a DNP on Wednesday. Cole Kmet was upgraded from limited to full. Montez Sweat remained limited both days but his status isn't thought to be in jeopardy.

Seemingly half the Panthers roster is on the injury report, but many are expected to play. Diontae Johnson, who has broken out these past two weeks, has been cleared to play despite only logging limited practices this week with an ankle injury.

Starting right guard Robert Hunt, who signed a five-year $100 million contract this offseason, is questionable with a hip injury, though he was able to play through it last week. Tight end Tommy Tremble missed Thursday's practice with a knee injury, but logged a limited session Friday. He also has a questionable tag.

Nose tackle Shy Tuttle has missed the past two games with a foot injury, but he's logged limited practices all week and is considered questionable. Defensive end Charles Harris, who is already filling in for Derrick Brown after Brown was put on IR with a meniscus tear, is questionable himself with a shoulder injury, though the fact that he was upgraded from limited to full on Friday is a good sign that he'll be out there.

The Panthers will be without linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell, both of whom went down against the Bengals. Thompson is out for the year after an MRI revealed an Achilles tear, while Jewell will be out this week after suffering groin and hamstring injuries in the second half. Rookie Trevin Wallace and second-year player Claudin Cherelus are expected to take their place in the lineup after filling in on Sunday.

Game prediction

The Bears haven't been world-beaters this season, but I have to say that I'm shocked that they're only giving 3.5 points at home to a team as bad as the Panthers. The Bears offense has been picking up steam and now gets to face a defense that has given up more points in their best game than the Bears have in their worst.

The Bears running game exploded against the Rams after a quiet first three weeks, thanks largely to the O-line, which looked much better. The Panthers defensive front is extremely banged up, so I expect D'Andre Swift to pick up where he left off last week, as will Caleb Williams, who didn't turn the ball over for the first time in his career. If he can protect the ball again, Tory Taylor will force the Panthers to go the length of the field to score.

The Bears have one of the best secondaries in the league, so as good as the Andy Dalton-Diontae Johnson connection has been the past two weeks, that's not going to be enough to move the ball against Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson. Carolina's best hope is that Chuba Hubbard can again have a 100-yard day, but even if he does, it's difficult to envision the Panthers moving up and down the field with any consistency.

The Bears have played four close games in four weeks, but this feels like the perfect time for a blowout. Bears 31, Panthers 13.

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