TNF Week 10 expert picks: Panthers at Bears

POD staff picks for the “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.

The NFL opens up Week 10 with a win-win scenario for the Chicago Bears as they host the Carolina Panthers on “Thursday Night Football.”

The Bears and Panthers have faced off just 11 times in their teams’ histories, with Chicago holding a 7-3 regular season advantage, while Carolina came away with the win the only time these two teams have met in the postseason. The last time they faced off was in 2020, which was an entire regime ago for both franchises.

The Panthers will want to use this game to further develop their No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young, hopefully helping him build confidence for the second half of his rookie year.

Meanwhile, the Bears are in an ideal situation because of the trade they made with the Panthers last offseason so that they could acquire Young. In that deal, Chicago snagged Carolina’s first-round pick, and because both team’s records are at the bottom of the NFL, the Bears currently hold picks No. 2 (Panthers) and 3 (their own) in the upcoming NFL Draft. Therefore, if the Bears win, it helps solidify the No. 2 pick, but even if they lose, their No. 3 pick will become more valuable.

In addition to this being a battle between two of the worst teams in the NFL, both teams will be missing some key contributors. The Bears will likely be without quarterback Justin Fields (right thumb) and running back Khalil Herbert (ankle), as well as prized free agent acquisition linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (knee). Not to be outdone, the Panthers will likely be without their best player in EDGE Brian Burns (concussion), along with corner C.J. Henderson (concussion), as well as wide receivers DJ Chark (elbow) and Laviska Shenault Jr. (ankle).

Oh, but the fun doesn’t stop there, as the league has named referee Clete Blakeman to officiate this game, making this game a potential trainwreck waiting to happen.

The folks over at DraftKings Sportsbook are favoring the Bears by a field goal in this matchup and while the POD staff is split this week, the majority are siding with the Panthers on the moneyline and against the spread.

Here is a look at who each of our staff is picking for Thursday night’s game:

Here’s how to watch tonight’s “Thursday Night Football” game:

Panthers at Bears

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
TV: Prime Video
Prime Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung (field reporter)
Online Stream/Replay: Prime Video, Twitch, NFL+ Premium (Replay)

Enjoy the game and come chat with us in the comments!