CHICAGO BEARS VS. CAROLINA  PANTHERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — October 6, 2024

CHICAGO BEARS VS. CAROLINA PANTHERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — October 6, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of several games on Sunday’s slate features the Chicago Bears (2-2 SU, 2-1-1 ATS) hosting the Carolina  Panthers (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, October 6, 2024 @ 1:00 PM ET

Where: Soldier Field,  Chicago, IL

TV: FOX

Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers — In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Following a disappointing showing in a 21-16 loss against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, the Bears bounced back with a 24-18 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Rams. Caleb Williams, who finished with 363 yards on 52 passing attempts in Week 3, was 17 of 23 for 157 yards and one touchdown. Sure, that was a noticeable dip in production from his previous outing. At the same time, he did engineer four scoring drives without any turnovers.

“Obviously when you don’t have two turnovers, that’s the most important thing,” Williams said, via ESPN. “When you have a defense like us, you have a punter and a kicker like we have, you’re not turning the ball over, it goes a long way. You’re going to win a lot of games.”

D’Andre Swift turned in a solid performance as well. He accounted for 93 of the team’s 131 rushing yards. He also tallied seven receptions for 72 yards. Let’s see if Chicago can continue this success against what should be considered an inferior opponent.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Panthers have dropped three of their first four games, including a 34-24 setback against the Cincinnati Bengals. Former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was 25 of 40 for 220 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Chuba Hubbard headlined the ground game with 104 yards and one score on 18 carries. Dontae Johnson led the team’s aerial attack with seven catches for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Despite trailing 31-14 in the third quarter, the Panthers did not go away quietly, trimming the deficit to seven points in the final frame (31-24). Unfortunately, with a chance to tie the game, Carolina’s offense went three-and-out, and the Bengals added a field goal on their next possession, putting the game out of reach. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers’ offense can successfully move the ball against a Bears’ defensive unit that can create takeaways in crucial moments.

Now that we have set the stage for this matchup, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Although they dropped their last two games, the Bears enter this contest as a four-point favorite (via OddsShark.com). Let’s see how both teams have fared against the spread.

• The Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against NFC opponents.
• In its last seven matchups against teams in the NFC South division, Chicago is 2-5 against the spread.
• The Bears have covered the spread in each of their previous five home outings.
• Meanwhile, the Panthers are 1-5 ATS in their previous six games overall.
• Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last five “road” matchups against Chicago.
• In their last 15 October games, the Panthers are just 4-11 against the spread.

Prediction: Chicago Bears (-4)

Over/Under

This matchup’s projected scoring output is 41 points (via OddsShark.com). Here are the teams’ over/under trends for this contest.

• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Bears’ last five games overall.
• In the Bears’ last 12 Sunday contests, the UNDER total has prevailed eight times.
• The total has gone OVER four times in the Panthers’ previous five outings against NFC North opponents.
• The UNDER total boasts a 10-5 record in Carolina’s last 15 games.
• Chicago and Carolina are averaging a combined 37.6 points per game, 3.4 points less than the projected total.

Prediction: UNDER 41 points

Player Prop Bet

Coming off his best game since signing with the Bears during the offseason (165 total yards from scrimmage),  D’Andre Swift is the key player to watch for the home team. He currently has -115 odds of exceeding 48.5 receiving yards and -115 odds of finishing with less than 48.5 yards (per DraftKings). Here’s a look at how his numbers stack up against the estimated points total.

• During the season, Swift is averaging 40.3 yards per outing.
• In his lone career outing against the Panthers (in 2022), Swift finished with 12 yards on four rushing attempts.
• The Bears have played two of their games at home this season. In those contests, Swift has averaged 61.5 yards per game.
• Swift has averaged 44.4 yards per game across his previous five outings, exceeding the yards total for this matchup twice during that stretch.

Prediction: D’Andre Swift OVER 48.5 rushing yards