Last Updated on October 10, 2010 1:15 pm by drew
Bears vs. Panthers Odds
After giving up 10 sacks last weekend, can the Chicago Bears find a way to protect their quarterback as they take on Carolina in Week 5 of the 2010 NFL Season?
The Bears are 3-1 this season while the Panthers are off to an 0-4 start. The Bears have never won in Carolina and the game will take place in Bank of America Stadium at 1PM ET on FOX.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made Carolina a 1-point favorite at home against the Bears. The over/under has been set at 33.
The opening line had Chicago as a 2-point favorite, but due to the injury to Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler, the line has now moved to Carolina being favored. The over/under opened at 36 and has steadily dropped to 33 points.
The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 start beating the likes of Dallas and Green Bay in the process but offensive line concerns heading into the season were exposed against the Giants last Sunday as New York racked up 10 sacks and held the Bears to just 110 yards of offense while knocking Jay Cutler out of the game with a concussion. So far this season the Bears are averaging 17.25 points per game on offense while giving up 17 points per game defensively. Cutler has thrown for 912 yards and six touchdowns on the season while Matt Forte has rushed for just 134 yards on 50 carries. Forte does have 16 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns while Johnny Knox leads the team with 258 receptions for 258 yards. Brian Urlacher leads the defense with 30 tackles and one sack while Julius Peppers has two sacks this season.
The Panthers have struggled to an 0-4 start this season as they have failed to score more than 18 points in any game. Quarterback issues are the big concern as the Panthers are relying on rookie Jimmy Clausen, who has thrown for just 393 yards while completing 34-of-69 passes. Carolina is averaging 11.5 points per game on offense while giving up 21.75 points per game. DeAngelo Williams has 266 rushing yards to lead the team while Steve Smith has caught 13 passes for 174 yards and two scores. James Anderson leads the Carolina defense with 45 tackles, a sack, and one interception. Charles Godfrey has three interceptions this season as well.
Trends for this game favor the Panthers as they are 8-1 against the spread in their last 9 against a team with a winning record and 9-2 ATS in their last 11 vs. the NFC. Chicago is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 after a loss and 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games.
Cutler has been ruled out of Sunday’s game for the Bears so Collins will get the start. Cutler is suffering complications from his concussion last weekend. Carolina tackle Jeff Otah is doubtful for the game with a knee injury while receiver Steve Smith has been ruled out because of an ankle injury.
With over 11,000 bets made on this game, the Bears are getting 54% of the public bets +1 against the Panthers.
Make sure you check out our official odds page to get up-to-the-minute point spreads and over/under totals for each and every game in college football this week.