The Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams regime enters year two in Chicago when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Year 1 was a major success as the Bears won the NFC North, Johnson established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and Williams continued his upward trend towards stardom.
The Bears went 11-6 and beat the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card game before getting eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams 20-17.
Williams nearly became the first Bear to throw for 4,000 yards in passing history, coming up just short with 3,942. He scored 30 touchdowns (27 passing, three rushing) and threw just seven interceptions.
Looking ahead to this season, Williams and the Bears defense will need some more consistency on a down-to-down basis. The team was explosive, but volatile, on both sides of the ball as the defense produced plenty of takeaways but also gave up lots of yards, while Williams made huge plays down the field but missed many easy throws
On the other side, the Carolina Panthers also had a successful season in 2025, winning the NFC South (albeit going 8-9), and hung tough with the Rams in the Wild Card round at home.
Bryce Young still has a lot to prove, but both the offensive and defensive lines are strengths for this team, while getting Jonathan Brooks back at running back could prove to be a major addition. Tetairoa McMillan, Derrick Brown, and Jaycee Horn are true stars that the Panthers can keep building around this year and for the future.
Let's get into the main line odds and how you can watch the game.
Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers Main Line Odds - Week 1
Moneyline | Spread | Total |
CHI: -170 | CHI -3.0 -115 | O47.5: -170 |
How to Watch Bears vs. Panthers - Week 1
The Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte, North Carolina will be broadcast on FOX for in-market fans. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM E.T.
All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
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