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
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.