NFC North rivals will clash on Monday Night Football as the Chicago Bears host their long-time adversaries, the Minnesota Vikings, to wrap up the first week of the NFL season.
The Bears concluded last season at the bottom of the NFC North with a record of 5-12, while the Vikings topped the division with an impressive 14-3 finish. Historically, Minnesota has dominated this matchup, winning seven of the last eight encounters, including both games played last season.
Harrison Smith (illness) will not participate for the Vikings. In a similar fashion, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) will also be absent for the game.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET at Soldier Field, Chicago. The Vikings are currently favored to win by 2.5 points, with the over/under set at 43.5 total points. Before making any predictions for the Bears vs. Vikings matchup, make sure to check out what the SportsLine projection model has to say.
- Vikings vs. Bears Spread: Minnesota -2.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
- Vikings vs. Bears Over/Under: 43.5 points
- Vikings vs. Bears Moneyline: Minnesota -109, Chicago -110
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Why the Vikings can cover
The Vikings excelled last season, finishing with an 11-6-0 record against the spread (ATS), succeeding in four of their final five regular-season games. This included a significant 30-12 victory at home against the Bears, where Minnesota was favored by 7 points. Furthermore, Minnesota’s performance on the road was commendable, with a 6-2-0 record away from home, including a thrilling overtime win against the Bears in Week 12.
J.J. McCarthy is set to make his debut as a regular-season starter after injury sidelined him throughout his rookie season. However, he may face challenges with a limited receiving corps as Justin Jefferson is not entirely fit, and Jordan Addison is under suspension. This situation could lead to more hand-offs to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, especially since the Bears defense had the fifth-worst rushing defense last season, allowing 136.3 rushing yards per game.
Why the Bears can cover
The Bears will be led by new head coach Ben Johnson, who has sparked enthusiasm among fans hoping for a surprising start to the season. Last year, Chicago posted an 8-7-2 record against the spread, managing to prevent the Vikings from covering the spread during their Week 12 encounter.
Chicago has improved its offensive line over the offseason, giving Caleb Williams more opportunities to thrive in Week 1. The Bears defense previously limited opponents to just 217.9 passing yards per game in 2024, and they anticipate applying significant pressure on McCarthy given his lack of playtime during preseason games.
How to make Bears vs. Vikings picks
For this matchup, the model favors the UNDER for total points and indicates a strong side of the spread hitting close to 60% of the time. See the specific model’s picks on SportsLine for further details.
