NFL Week 10 Best Bets: Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears Picks for Thursday Night Football
We’re kicking off NFL Week 10 in style with our best bets and player props for Thursday Night Football which features a pretty cool match-up between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. On the surface, and if you’re just looking at record, there’s not a whole lot to be impressed with, but if you dive into the narrative between these two teams, we’ve got a real spirited battle coming our way. First and foremost, let’s not forget the trade between these two teams back in late March which gave the Panthers the No. 1 pick and allowed them to draft Bryce Young, their franchise quarterback. In that deal, the Bears added wide receiver DJ Moore, so you know there’s a little revenge factor in there for hm, even if it’s Tyson Bagent under center and not Justin Fields. Still, both teams want to prove to the other that they came out on top, so while some might thing this is just another lousy Thursday night game, I believe we see some fireworks.
NFL Thursday Night Football Best Bets: Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears
The Spread: Bears -3.5
We’ve got a 2-7 Bears team playing without its starting quarterback facing a 1-7 team that is still just trying to find its way with their rookie quarterback. Doesn’t exactly scream “Let’s lock into this game,” does it? But from a betting standpoint, we like a lot of what we see. The Bears offense has had its moments and rookie Tyson Bagent has been serviceable under center. They should be getting back Khalil Herbert giving them a strong three-headed monster in the backfield going up against one of the softest run defenses in the league. On the other side, you’ve got a rookie in Bryce Young being helped by veteran receiver Adam Thielen and a decent passing attack going up against one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL. Neither team has been good against the spread this year – Bears are 3-5-1 while the Panthers are just 1-6-1 – so there is no trend for us to really follow. I think this one stays fairly close given how neither defense is really going to shut down the opposition and when there’s an extra half-point in play for me, I want to be on the side that’s getting points. Pick: Panthers +3.5 (-110)
The Total: 38.5
The under is 5-4 on Thursday Night Football this season, so again, there’s really not a great trend to follow like we get on Monday nights right now. The under is 5-3 for Panthers games this season and 3-6 for Bears games. It’s real easy to say that with these two struggling teams and struggling offenses that we shouldn’t expect a bunch of points in this one, but I believe these defenses are not only weak enough to watch points get scored, but each teams defensive shortcomings match up perfectly with each offense’s strengths. There are playmakers on both sides of the coin here, so I’m going to lean towards this game total being a little too low for me. Maybe something like a 23-20 game perhaps. Pick: Over 38.5 (-110)
Favorite Thursday Night Football Player Props:
- Chuba Hubbard over 13.5 receiving yards (-115)
- DJ Moore over 4.5 receptions (-105)
- Bryce Young over 32.5 pass attempts (-110)
- Adam Thielen over 6.5 receptions (-135)
- Frankie Luvu over 8.5 tackles + assists (-130)
**all lines & odds courtesy of BetMGM
Player News
Saints TE Foster Moreau said the QB1 role is “anyone’s job for the taking.”
It’s possible Moreau is just trying to speak positively of a quarterback room that could be in flux for much of the 2025 season, but the veteran tight end said neither Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler did much to separate themselves from one another during offseason programs. Shough was selected at No. 40 overall by the Saints in this year’s draft, and will almost certainly get a chance to start at some point in the season, but Rattler could also get a look after throwing for 1,317-4-5 in seven games as a rookie. Rattler only completed 57 percent of his passes last season, and doesn’t have much promise as a fifth-round pick, but there may be room for him to see some action in what might be the worst QB room in the league this season. Regardless, this competition will one to watch throughout the offseason as first-year head coach Kellen Moore hopes to find a reliable option come Week 1.
Free agent RB Nyheim Hines said he is hoping to sign with a team before training camp.
Hines suffered a torn ACL during a jet-ski accident in 2023 and hasn’t played an NFL game since. The running back/return man said he believes his knee is now fully recovered and is hoping he can join a team before the start of training camp. Hines caught 30 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown in 2022 while splitting time with the Colts and Bills, and also returned 19 kicks for 554 yards and two scores. At 28 years old, there should be plenty of teams interested in giving him a look due to his special teams prowess and abilities in the passing game, but he’ll be far from a lock to make a roster wherever he lands.
Speaking on the Giants Huddle podcast, TE Theo Johnson said he is healthy after undergoing foot surgery last season.
Johnson caught 29 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown last season, but saw his rookie campaign come to an end due to a foot injury. Now healthy and ready to get back to work, the second-year tight end is hopeful he can continue where he left off before his injury, when he went for 26-293-1 over an eight-game stretch. It’s far from elite production, but Johnson posted an impressive 9.93 RAS during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and averaged a solid 12.2 YPR during his four years at Penn State. He won’t be on the fantasy radar to start the season, but Johnson could have some upside if he emerges as a primary receiving threat this season.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain says Ben Johnson “seemed confident” that Luther Burden (soft tissue) would be ready at the start of training camp.
Burden has been sidelined for most of the offseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury. The rookie second-rounder also remains unsigned. While it’s been a slow start to Burden’s pro career, a return by training camp should give him plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season. Even when Burden acclimates himself to the offense, he’ll likely slot in as the team’s No. 3 receiver with Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore expected to serve as the primary options in two receiver sets. Burden makes for an intriguing late-round pick in deeper leagues, but is unlikely to enter the season with much fantasy upside.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Terry McLaurin is “not happy with where things are with an extension.”
Fowler adds that the Commanders have “a couple of weeks here to make progress” before training camp begins on July 22. McLaurin has skipped all offseason workouts thus far, so it stands to reason he could continue the absentee strategy later this month. Training camp is a critical time for NFL teams, allowing players to safely ramp up ahead of preseason play, not to mention the regular season. McLaurin profiles as a fantasy football WR2 this year.
The Athletic’s Mark Puleo reports, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh “has been added as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit filed by 11 anonymous students against former University of Michigan offensive coordinator Matt Weiss.”
Weiss “has been accused of hacking the email, social media and cloud storage accounts of thousands of female athletes and downloading intimate photos and videos.” Per Puleo, “the amended complaint... alleges that Harbaugh” and “university officials knew that Weiss had been accessing the plaintiffs’ private information when they allowed him to coach in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, 2022.” Harbaugh previously told reporters that “he didn’t learn of allegations involving Weiss until after the Fiesta Bowl,” saying he was “completely shocked” and “disturbed” upon hearing the allegations. Weiss has worked for both Jim and John Harbaugh, dating back to 2007; Stanford (2007-2008) and Michigan (2021-2022) with Jim, and the Ravens (2009-2020) with John. Jim coached at Michigan from 2015-2023. Per Puleo, “allegations of computer hacking against Weiss date to 2015, when he was with Baltimore.” Neither Michigan nor the Chargers responded to Puleo’s request for a comment.