Bears vs. Panthers Free Pick
The Bears could be in a mess of trouble this weekend when they take on the winless Panthers in Carolina without quarterback Jay Cutler. Read on to check out our pick for this Week 5 matchup.
Before we get to our pick, let’s take a look at the current odds.
After the opening as a 2.5-point road favorite, oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com currently list the Bears as a 2.5-point underdog against the Panthers in Week 5. The over/under total for this game has been set at 33 points.
The reason for the line movement is simple: Cutler is out and that means Todd Collins – who was brutal against the Giants last Sunday night – is in. Mike Martz’s pass-happy offense takes a major hit with the change at quarterback and it may finally force him to lean on his running game this weekend.
The Bears are 3-1 on the season, but their loss to the Giants last week dropped them to 2-2 against the spread. They’re 1-1 on the road this year and 1-1 ATS on the road, with that one win coming against the Cowboys in Week 2.
The Panthers have yet to win a game at 1-4, but they surprised many bettors by covering a double-digit point spread against the Saints last Sunday. They’re 0-2 at home, however, and 0-2 against the number at home this year (including 0-1 as a home favorite).
The Pick:
Even though the Panthers have been brutal this season, it would be hard to pick the Bears after what transpired last Sunday night in East Rutherford. Collins was a statue in the pocket and even though Carolina doesn’t have the same pass rush the Giants do, it may not matter. If Martz can’t change his offensively philosophy and go run-heavy on Sunday, then Chicago is in trouble.
My pick is the Panthers –2.5. The Bears are 1-3-1 against the spread in the last five meetings between these two teams and 1-9-1 against the number in their last 11 games as a road underdog. The Panthers, meanwhile, are 6-0-1 against the spread in their last seven games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
2010 NFL Week 5 Free Pick: CAROLINA PANTHERS –2.5