NFL Week 1 Bears-Panthers Predictions: Which run defense will step up?

The Carolina Panthers have not won a Week 1 game since 2021, but they are coming off a playoff season in 2025. Could they beat the Chicago Bears outright at home or at least cover the spread?

Much has been made of the trade that brought Caleb Williams to Chicago and Bryce Young to Carolina. Since the two QBs have taken over for their respective squads, the Bears have gone 16-18 (11-6 under Ben Johnson), and the Panthers have gone 15-36.

Both teams are coming off strong seasons with playoff appearances led by their run games, and both teams made substantial acquisitions this offseason, especially on defense. Chicago signed S Coby Bryant and LB Devin Bush while Carolina added LB Devin Lloyd and Edge Jaelan Phillips . Obviously, Chicago fans know Bryant will miss most of the year with an injury, but the question remains for both teams.

Can they slow down their opponent's offense this week?

For a Chicago defense that allowed the 6th most rushing yards a season ago, the Panthers know they have to establish the run and build off their 2025 season, when they ranked in the top 20 in both rushing yards and attempts per game. Chicago will be leaning heavily on a couple rookies, Jordan van den Berg and Jayden Loving, and 9th-year pro Kentavius Street , whom Bears DC Dennis Allen said had the strongest camp of any DT on the roster .

For the Panthers, the addition of Lloyd and Phillips will most certainly help, but the Panthers defense still relies on the play of All-World DT Derrick Brown to slow down opposing offenses. Especially the run game. That said, the edge for best DL seems to go to Carolina in this one. However, in his first 3 career Week 1 starts, Bryce Young has thrown a combined 2 TDs and 6 INTs and has yet to throw for more than 200 yards. Which leads even more credence to the idea that the Panthers should " Keep Pounding " the ball on the ground this week.

Our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook currently have the Bears as 3-point favorites for this week's contest in Carolina. If you think the Bears will win outright, the moneyline is at -176, with the point total over/under at 47.5.

I am predicting a 31-20 Bears win, with both D'Andre Swift and Chuba Hubbard to lead their teams with over 70 yards rushing each – and that'll hit the over on their betting lines in this one, with Swift currently at 63.5 and Hubbard at 50.5.