Bears vs. Panthers prediction: Why Chicago is favored to win in NFL Week 1 [2026]

The Carolina Panthers will square off with the Chicago Bears in NFL Week 1 action at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, starting at 1:00 PM ET.

Dimers' advanced NFL model projects the Bears as the most likely winner in this Bears vs. Panthers prediction.

This article offers a closer look at Sunday's matchup, including projected touchdown scorers, best bets and player prop picks, backed by the same system that has dominated college football and NFL betting markets across multiple seasons.

Bears vs. Panthers prediction and odds

Since our Bears-Panthers predictions earlier in the week, we have re-simulated the outcome of Sunday's NFL game between the Bears and Panthers, forming part of our NFL predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model currently gives the Bears a 60.2% chance of defeating the Panthers in Week 1 of the NFL season. Our predicted final score has the Bears winning 24-22. According to our model, the Bears (-2.5) have a 54.7% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 46.5 points has a 51.2% chance of going over.

To see win probabilities for every matchup this week, check out our expert NFL Week 1 straight up picks.

Latest betting odds

We have researched the best NFL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Spread: Bears -2.5 (-120) / Panthers +2.5 (+117)
• Moneyline: Bears -150, Panthers +145
• Total: Over/Under 46.5 (-104/+100)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Model picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Spread: Bears -2.5 @ 55¢ via Novig
• Moneyline: Bears @ 60¢ via Novig
• Total: Over 46.5 @ 51¢ via Polymarket

According to our NFL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 46.5 total points.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Bears vs. Panthers TD scorers

Who will score a touchdown in Bears vs. Panthers?

According to our list of touchdown scorer predictions for Week 1, D'Andre Swift is most likely to score an anytime TD in Bears vs. Panthers.

Our projections give Swift a 48.0% chance of scoring a TD at Bank of America Stadium, while the running back is an 11.8% chance of scoring the first touchdown the game.

Anytime touchdown scorer predictions

Chicago Bears

• D'Andre Swift (RB): 48.0% probability
• Colston Loveland (TE): 33.8%
• Rome Odunze (WR): 29.6%
• Luther Burden (WR): 29.3%
• Kyle Monangai (RB): 28.1%

Carolina Panthers

• Chuba Hubbard (RB): 37.1% prob.
• Tetairoa McMillan (WR): 34.3%
• Jonathon Brooks (RB): 29.7%
• Jalen Coker (WR): 26.0%
• Darren Waller (TE): 21.4%

First touchdown scorer predictions

Chicago Bears

• D'Andre Swift (RB): 11.8% prob.
• Colston Loveland (TE): 7.4%
• Rome Odunze (WR): 6.3%
• Luther Burden (WR): 6.3%
• Kyle Monangai (RB): 6.0%

Carolina Panthers

• Chuba Hubbard (RB): 8.0% prob.
• Tetairoa McMillan (WR): 7.2%
• Jonathon Brooks (RB): 6.1%
• Jalen Coker (WR): 5.2%
• Darren Waller (TE): 4.1%

Top player props

Discover our predictions for the players likely to lead in passing, rushing and receiving yards for both the Bears and Panthers. Head to our NFL player projections page now to access a full list of player prop projections for every offensive player in this matchup and all other Week 1 games.

Quarterbacks

Of the starting quarterbacks, the Bears' Caleb Williams is projected for 237 passing yards. The Panthers' Bryce Young is expected to throw for 214 yards.

Bears rushing

• D'Andre Swift: 68 yds
• Kyle Monangai: 36 yds
• Caleb Williams: 22 yds

Panthers rushing

• Chuba Hubbard: 52 yds
• Jonathon Brooks: 31 yds
• Bryce Young: 17 yds

Bears receiving

• Luther Burden: 62 yds
• Colston Loveland: 56 yds
• Rome Odunze: 45 yds
• Kalif Raymond: 21 yds
• Cole Kmet: 19 yds

Panthers receiving

• Tetairoa McMillan: 65 yds
• Jalen Coker: 47 yds
• Xavier Legette: 25 yds
• Darren Waller: 23 yds
• John Metchie: 17 yds

Game info & kickoff details

The NFL Week 1 matchup between the Panthers and Bears at Bank of America Stadium is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM ET.

• Who: Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers
• Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET/10:00AM PT
• Venue: Bank of America Stadium

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Conclusion

We predict the Bears, with a 60.2% win probability, will likely beat the Panthers in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary NFL prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.