The Panthers are on the rise thanks to a three-game winning streak and are starting to get some respect from the oddsmakers in Vegas. They are favored to win this weekend’s game against the Bears by 2.5 points. However, the experts are still mostly picking against them.
Here is a look at this week’s expert picks.
ESPN: Bears
Seven out of ESPN’s 10 experts are picking Chicago this week.
CBS Sports: Bears
Will Brinson is picking the Bears in a close one, 17-16.
Sporting News: Bears
Bill Bender is also picking Chicago, 26-23.
MMQB: Split
The staff at MMQB is split, with three experts picking the Bears and three picking the Panthers.
Yahoo Sports: Panthers
Frank Schwab is picking Carolina this week.
USA Today: Panthers
The team at USA Today is mostly split but favors Carolina. Four out of seven experts are predicting a Panthers win.
We love a good contrarian pick here at Panthers Wire, so this is right up our alley. The Bears an impressive record at 4-1 coming into this week. However, Tampa is the only decent team they’ve beaten so far. We would be shocked if it’s a blowout given how tough Chicago’s defense is, but we’re expecting a fourth straight win. Panthers 23, Bears 20.
