Panthers vs. Bears Predictions, Picks & Odds: NFL Week 5, Sunday 10/6

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the Week 5 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears was set to be one with the past two #1 overall picks facing off at QB. The Panthers have since benched former Alabama QB Bryce Young, but even without that storyline, we’ve still got our best Panthers vs. Bears predictions for you.
Not only will be share the best bet from our Panthers vs. Bears picks after discussing each team, but we’ll also take you through the quick process of claiming a guaranteed $200 FanDuel Sportsbook sign up bonus!
Panthers vs. Bears Predictions For NFL Week 5, Sunday 10/6
We know that this isn’t exactly an NFC Championship Game preview, but especially with this being the first week with teams on bye, this is still an early afternoon game to watch. After all, Carolina’s QB change saw them grab their first win, although they came back down to Earth against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
As for Chicago, most of the discussion has been focused on rookie QB Caleb Williams, and rightfully so. He may not be developing as quickly as some fans would like, but at the end of the day, the Bears are 2-2. They can go above .500 with a win on Sunday, and you’ll see that with the best bet from our Panthers vs. Bears predictions they certainly have a chance to do so!
Carolina Panthers: Focusing On A New Era
As mentioned, the Panthers decided to bench Young in preference of veteran QB Andy Dalton, which led to the team’s first win two weeks ago. While the Red Rifle wasn’t able to get revenge on his former team last Sunday, Carolina still held their own and put up 24 points.
That may not jump off the page at you but given that they scored 13 points across their first two games combined, they can at least hang their hat on that. After going 2-15 last year, much of the coaching staff and front office have changed, which is why they seem eager to begin a new era despite having just selected a QB with the top overall pick just two drafts ago.
Chicago Bears: Continuing To Trust Williams
Speaking of #1 overall picks, of course, the most recent one was Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams. There is a fair share of fans that are still bullish on Williams, while there seem to be just as many that are bearish - no pun intended.
Either way, the franchise clearly seems to trust him, even if it hasn’t been perfect thus far. Truthfully, their defense and special teams won their game against the Tennessee Titans, and last week was a matchup with an injury-riddled Los Angeles Rams team. Through all that, Williams has at least been lighting up the stat sheet.
Of course, that doesn’t translate to wins, but it can still help the best bet from our Panthers vs. Bears picks come to fruition!
Panthers vs. Bears Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
We won’t keep burying the lead and share our top pick in just a moment, but quickly, here are the latest Panthers vs. Bears odds at FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Point Spread: Carolina Panthers +3.5 (-102) vs. Chicago Bears -3.5 (-120)
- Money Line: Carolina Panthers (+154) vs. Chicago Bears (-185)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 41.5 (-118) vs. Under 41.5 (-104)
Panthers vs. Bears Predictions: Chicago Team Total Over 22.5 Points (-118 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
If anything, we’d be inclined to take Chicago in terms of a side for this matchup, but with a point spread just over the key number of three, we’re going to avoid sweating out a field-goal victory. Instead, our Panthers vs. Bears predictions are going to isolate the Bears side.
We’re glad to see that the team isn’t throwing the towel in on Williams already, as young QBs never seem to have enough time to develop. Of course, after four games would be a radical decision, but what we mean is how much they’re trusting him with the ball in his hands.
Just two weeks ago, Williams threw the ball 52 times! He ended up throwing for 363 yards and two touchdowns in that game, albeit in a loss. That’s why we want to focus on Chicago lighting up the scoreboard against a weak Panthers defense rather than having to trust them to win by four points or more.
Carolina has allowed more than 32 points per game so far this season, so we’re locking in the best bet from our Panthers vs. Bears predictions on Chicago’s team total over 22.5 points (-112 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
Panthers vs. Bears Injury Report & Latest News
Before locking in any Panthers vs. Bears picks, make sure that you check out the latest injury report after Thursday’s practices:
CAR Panthers:
- Josey Jewell - DNP
- Shaq Thompson - DNP
- Andrew Raym - DNP
- Miles Sanders - DNP
- Jalen Coker - DNP
- Tommy Tremble - DNP
- Taylor Moton - DNP
- Charles Harris - LP
- Robert Hunt - LP
- Damien Lewis - LP
- Nick Scott - LP
- Shy Tuttle - LP
- Dane Jackson - LP
- Ian Thomas - LP
- Diontae Jackson - LP
- Lonnie Johnson Jr. - LP
CHI Bears:
- TE Mercedes Lewis - DNP
- DT Zacch Pickens - DNP
- CB Terell Smith - DNP
- DE Montez Sweat - LP
- OL Teven Jenkins - LP
- WR DeAndre Carter - LP
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Player News
Packers signed WR Bo Melton, RB Emanuel Wilson, and P Daniel Whelan to their exclusive rights free agent tenders.
Melton caught on with the Packers in 2023, totaling 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown in five games. He added eight receptions for 91 yards in 17 games last season. Melton will continue to be a depth piece in an already-deep Packers wide receiver room. Wilson has also been with the Packers for two seasons and rushed for 502 yards and four touchdowns as Josh Jacobs’ immediate backup last season. He will compete with MarShawn Lloyd for that role again. Whelan is the team’s punter and will be back for 2025. All three signed their exclusive rights free agent tender and will essentially be on one-year contracts this season.
Seahawks re-signed Johnathan Hankins to a one-year contract.
Hankins hasn’t had a PFF run defense grade above 52.4 since 2020 and is primarily called on to play early downs. He turned 33 in March. He’ll be a complimentary piece behind Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II if he makes the roster out of training camp.
Chargers placed the UFA tender on RB J.K. Dobbins.
This gives the Chargers exclusive negotiating rights if he does not sign with a team by July 22 or the first 2025 NFL training camp opens, whichever comes first. The tag is mainly useful for compensatory pick reasons as Dobbins will still count towards Los Angeles’ haul in the formula if signed before then. The Chargers currently do not project to add a pick in 2026 per Over The Cap’s Nick Korte.
49ers signed OT D.J. Humphries.
Humphries played in only two games for the Chiefs last year as he spent most of the season rehabbing a late 2023 torn ACL on his own. He wasn’t appreciably good in either of those games, but he was rusty and does have a history of better than that. Entering his age-32 season for the 49ers, he’ll probably be trying to win the right tackle job opposite Trent Williams in training camp.
Patriots released LS Joe Cardona.
The team selected his replacement, Julian Ashby, in the seventh round of the draft. This snapper of balls who are longer than usual is only 33, and it’s possible he picks up his career elsewhere. There aren’t too many remaining Patriots Regimes in the wild in 2025, but Nick Caserio does still run the Texans and they let Jon Weeks walk this offseason so that’s one speculative fit.
NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill said he would be “flabbergasted” if Derek Carr played for the Saints this year.
“I would have trouble understanding why you would allow that to happen, you’re trying to build a new culture, you can’t let that guy ... you just got a rookie QB, this is the example you’re going to give him,” Underhill continued. Both Underhill and Mike Triplett believe Tyler Shough will be starting for the Saints in Week 1, with Underhill saying he had “80 percent or higher odds to start 80 percent of the games this year.” Shough would be an uninspiring superflex pick, perhaps a QB3, but given how things have played out with Carr over the past months it sure doesn’t seem like the Saints have a reason to want to continue this relationship. Mickey Loomis literally asked reporters to stop asking him Carr questions at his pre-draft press conference.