NFL Week 4 Betting Preview: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears
Sunday, 10/2/11, 1:00 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Chicago -6.5
Current Betting Line: Chicago -6.5
Opening Total: 44
Current Total: 42.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Chicago Bears Football Team — The Chicago Bears will look to snap a two-game slide Sunday when hosting the Carolina Panthers

Carolina picked up its first win of the year last week with a 16-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars as 3.5-point home favorites. The Panthers were able to pull it off without a sterling performance from quarterback Cam Newton, who threw for just 158 yards after throwing for 400-plus yards in the first two weeks. He has a good chance of bouncing back this week, facing a Bears defense that ranks 26th against the pass and 19th in terms of points allowed. Carolina is 4-9 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points and 7-11 ATS on the road.

The Panthers will likely target tight end Greg Olsen in this week’s contest, as he’ll be highly motivated after being traded for a No. 1 pick before training camp started. He caught just 41 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns in 2010, but averaged 57 catches for 593 yards and 13 touchdowns during the 2008-09 seasons. “I’m excited to be here and I think this is an exciting team with a lot of energy around it,” Olsen stated this week. “I think we’re on the rise.” Wide receiver Steve Smith is still a dangerous target on the outside, as his 349 receiving yards ranks third in the NFL.

Chicago has dropped consecutive games to two of the premiere teams in the NFL, falling 30-13 in New Orleans before being handed a 27-17 loss by the Green Bay Packers as four-point home underdogs. The Bears absolutely need to find some balance offensively, as they’ve ran the ball just 20 times and passed 82 times in the last two games. It would be a welcomed idea to get the ball in the hands of running back Matt Forte as much as possible, as he ran for a career-high 166 yards in last year’s meeting. Chicago is 0-2 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Bears defense hasn’t been very good against the run this year, failing to hold a single team under 100 rushing yards, while opponents have averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Chicago will be facing Carolina’s talented duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but the new-look team has gone away from its power rushing game of year’s past, gaining just 3.0 yards per carry combined. Bears linebacker Lance Briggs continues to lead the defense with Brian Urlacher, leading the team with 37 tackles through three games. “Each game he’s gotten better this year,” commented defensive coordinator Ron Marinelli.