NFL Football
2026-09-13 - Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NFL Week 1
Sunday 13th September 2026 - Scheduled 1pm EST
6pm (British Time)
Preview
A losing record was enough for the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South and earn a spot in the Playoff, but it is the performance against the Los Angeles Rams in the post-season that will give the fans confidence to take into 2026.
The NFC South remains wide open and the Panthers will be encouraged by the improvement of Bryce Young at Quarter Back after looking like he was going to be a player that would not live up to his hype in the pros.
There is some real talent on the Offensive side of the ball, although the Offensive Line will have to show they have improved if only to give Bryce Young more time when he steps back to throw. More consistency out of the Quarter Back position is going to be needed for the Panthers to earn another go at the Playoffs and Bryce Young will have a chance to show what he can do in Week 1 when taking on the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago fans will not be happy to hear about the owners pushing for the team to move to Indiana, but the Bears are the NFC North Champions having earned eleven wins last season. The Bears will feel they should have beaten the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the Playoff, but there is also a huge amount of excitement about what this team can do over the next few months.
Caleb Williams had almost 4000 passing yards to go with his 27 Touchdown passes and just 7 Interceptions in 2025 and the Bears have a franchise Quarter Back that has set some high targets for himself this season.
Chicago's Offense is well-balanced, which makes them tough to stop, although the Bears are going to need the Defensive unit to step up if they are going to progress in the months ahead. They will certainly be confident in putting a balanced attack together against the Carolina Panthers Defensive unit and Caleb Williams may be given enough time to dissect this team, even on the road.
Winning road games is never easy in the NFL, but the Chicago Bears may have the firepower to pull clear in this one.
The Bears have won seven of the last eight in this series with the Carolina Panthers, including a blowout win in 2024.
The two Divisional Winners from 2025 will both be confident, but the Bears have that slight edge and the more consistent Offensive performers, which can be the difference in Week 1. Mistakes made by the Quarter Back can be costly and Caleb Williams is likely going to have the cleaner game than Bryce Young and that can see the Bears come away with a victory.
Prediction
Lay the points with the road favourite as two NFC Divisional Winners from the 2025 season meet one another in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
The Pick :
Carolina Panthers 24-28 Chicago Bears
