Betting Preview
Game Details
- Matchup: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 9 (Week 10)
- Time: 7:15 p.m. CT / 8:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Panthers +148, Bears -176
- Spread: Panthers +3 (-104), Bears -3 (-118)
- Total: Over/Under 38.5 (-110/-110)
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Subject to change.
The race towards pick No. 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft is unfortunately on for the 1-7 Carolina Panthers and 2-7 Chicago Bears. Thanks to each club’s current talent level, however, their Thursday Night Football clash in Week 10 of the 2023 NFL schedule could still provide some entertainment.
Both teams are comfortably at the bottom of their respective divisions. The Super Bowl is an afterthought for both at this point. The futures odds for the Panthers are the fifth-longest at +95000, while the Bears are tied for the longest at +100000.
Carolina recently earned its first win of the season over the Houston Texans in Week 8, which is all the more impressive in hindsight after what Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
Meanwhile, Chicago quarterback Justin Fields is listed as doubtful for Thursday’s contest with a thumb injury, putting rookie QB Tyson Bagent in line for his fourth career start.
Moneyline
Even without Fields, the Bears are still listed as slight home favorites on the moneyline.
Both teams have taken a beating on defense this year while struggling to figure out their offenses. The Panthers are ranked as the worst defense in the league, while Chicago is 30th.
Carolina may have the worst defense in the league, but it’s still hard to trust Bagent. He’s thrown twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdowns (three) and has only regressed since beating the Las Vegas Raiders during his first career start in Week 7. Bagent isn’t talented enough and doesn’t have the weapons around him to give bettors much confidence.
Conversely, the Panthers have struggled with top draft pick Bryce Young. Despite developing a strong rapport with veteran wideout Adam Thielen, he’s been inconsistent with a 63.7% completion rate, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Still, those numbers are much better than Bagent’s stats, and Young has more NFL experience.
For the moneyline, we prefer Carolina at plus odds.
Point Spread
The Bears are favored by a field goal on the spread, typical for a home team in the NFL. However, we prefer the points with the Panthers.
Young is a more reliable passer than Bagent and has more talent. He should have enough success through the air against Chicago’s defense to keep the game close, if not win outright.
After all, the Bears’ secondary is atrocious. They have allowed the most passing touchdowns in the league (20) and second-most passing yards (2,312). Young hasn’t had a 300-yard passing game yet, but this could be the week he breaks out.
The Panthers’ defense is weak on the ground, allowing the second-most rushing touchdowns and ninth-most rushing yards in the league. Fortunately, Chicago’s run game is nothing special, especially with Fields sidelined.
With Young poised for a better game than Bagent, Carolina could cover.
Over/Under
With the expected absence of Fields, the Over/Under dropped from 40.5 to 38.5. Even so, we still prefer the Under.
Despite the lackluster defenses on both sides, neither offense can be trusted in this contest. The Panthers are 26th in scoring and 28th in yardage, while the Bears are 19th in both categories.
Chicago’s offense misses Fields, scoring 17 points or fewer in three of its last four games. Carolina’s point total has decreased in three straight games, so the team is also trending in the wrong direction.
With the Panthers’ defense allowing the eighth-fewest yards per game, this projects to be a low-scoring rock fight between two rookie quarterbacks. Don’t expect offensive fireworks.
Player Prop
A viable player prop in this game is for Thielen to surpass 68.5 receiving yards (-114 odds).
The former Minnesota Viking has been the most reliable weapon in Carolina’s offense this year. He emerged as Young’s security blanket, hauling in 62 of his 76 targets for 610 receiving yards – an average of 76.3 per game.
Against the Bears’ weak secondary, Thielen is poised for another good game this week. He’s notched at least 70 receiving yards in five of his last six contests, making the Over playable if you’re looking to bet a player prop.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
