ESPN bold prediction goes against Chicago Bears

Imagn Images

ESPN bold prediction goes against Chicago Bears

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Zack Pearson | Last updated May 16, 2026 12:18 PM ET

The 2026 NFL schedule is officially out and for the Chicago Bears, it’s full of prime time/standalone games. In total, the Bears are scheduled to have seven of those stand alone games including one on Thanksgiving and one on Christmas Day.

But the Bears schedule starts out on the road in Week 1.

The first time we will see Ben Johnson’s team in 2026 will be in Carolina against the Panthers. Both teams won their respected divisions a year ago but both also lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. As we get set for the rest of the offseason activities, ESPN is making some bold predictions following the schedule release.

ESPN picks Carolina Panthers to upset Chicago Bears

Nov 2, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Following the schedule release, ESPN released their list of bold predictions for each team’s schedule. For the Carolina Panthers, they predicted that they would upset the Bears in Week 1.

Here is what they wrote on the situation:

The Panthers will beat the Bears for the first time since 2014, validating the trade that landed Carolina the 2023 No. 1 pick that ended up being quarterback Bryce Young. In Week 1, Young will outplay his counterpart Caleb Williams, whom the Bears drafted No. 1 overall in 2024 with the pick the Panthers traded to them.

The Bears and Panthers will both have something to prove next season after winning their divisions. Both will also have their eyes on a bigger prize and looking to advance even further than last year. With it being a big year for both Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, this Week 1 matchup be exciting to kickoff the year.

Chicago is currently a 2.5-point favorite in the odds for the game following the schedule release. That could change and generally, the home team does get three points. It does seem like a favorable matchup for the Bears to open the season. But with a long offseason to go still, anything can happen between now and then.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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