Vikings vs. Bears Prediction: Tonight's Monday Night Football Odds & MNF Picks
The Minnesota Vikings head to Soldier Field to battle the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, and my Vikings vs. Bears prediction dives into everything. The Vikings will turn to J.J. McCarthy under center as he makes his first career start on Monday Night Football, and new head coach Ben Johnson will spearhead the Bears.
The Vikings have been maintaining their status as a 1.5-point betting favorite ahead of kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN). My best NFL picks to round out the NFL predictions for Week 1 detail why the Bears should start the campaign with a win, though they'll surely need to get past a Caleb Williams turnover.
🏈 Vikings vs. Bears prediction for Monday Night Football
NFL expert picks based on the latest Monday Night Football odds; subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Bears (+102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: Bears +1.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Under 44 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐
📝 Monday Night Football preview & best bet
Track the latest NFL scores for line movement and matchup info.
🐻 Bears ML (+102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As excited as I am to see what new Bears head coach Ben Johnson can do with Caleb Williams and the plethora of talent he has at the skill positions, I usually preach patience and not to overreact, as his offensive principles will take time to sink in.
But with Minnesota breaking in a quarterback who missed the entire regular season with an injury last year, that tips the scales to Chicago’s moneyline as my best Vikings vs. Bears prediction.
Williams’ increased success in year two starts with an improved offensive line. He was sacked 68 times last season, tied for the third-most in NFL history. To address that, the team traded for guards Joe Thuney (17 starts last year) and Jonah Jackson (four starts), and added center Drew Dalman (nine starts).
Johnson’s influence should also make a world of difference in Williams’ progression. In his time as Lions offensive coordinator, Detroit had a top-five offense in all three seasons.
Furthermore, in terms of yards per play under Johnson, the Lions ranked third overall, third on plays with motion at the snap, and third on play action. He brings his expertise to a talented Bears roster that ranked 22nd or worse in all of those metrics last year.
DraftKings is the only one of the best sports betting sites where one can back the Bears at a better price than +100 odds, which carry a 50% implied probability. A winning $10 wager at the +102 odds would net $10.20 in profits.
💰 Best Vikings vs. Bears player prop bet for Monday Night Football
Our NFL player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
⬆️ Caleb Williams Over 0.5 interceptions (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Last season, Minnesota had 33 takeaways (tied for the most) and 49 sacks (tied for fourth).
Considering the Bears' offense may struggle against a top-five scoring defense from last year, especially with the team learning a completely new system, Caleb Williams to throw an interception offers excellent value as my top Vikings vs. Bears player prop bet.
Williams needs to work on a quicker release, as his 2.92 seconds on his average time to throw ranked 26th. He did rank third in interception percentage, but was also off target on 21% of his passes (31st) and was the league’s worst quarterback in QBR on throws of 20-plus yards and third-down QBR.
The implied probability that Minnesota picks off a Williams pass is as high as 57.45% through BetMGM’s -135 odds. Thus, I am headed to FanDuel for the best price, where a $10 winning wager would net $8.70 in profits.
📊 Vikings vs. Bears odds: MNF
NFL odds update live in real time.
📈 Vikings vs. Bears opening odds
- Moneyline: Vikings -115 | Bears -105
- Spread: Vikings -1.5 (-105) | Bears +1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: Over 44.5 (-110) | Under 44.5 (-110)
🔍 Vikings vs. Bears odds analysis
The point spread and moneyline for this Vikings vs. Bears matchup have remained stable, which is not surprising based on the 51/49 split on point spread wagers. The total has ticked down as much as a point from 44.5 to 43.5, likely as a result of Chicago working in a new system and J.J. McCarthy making his first NFL start.
🎟️ Vikings vs. Bears game day odds
The visiting Vikings have held strong as 1.5 point favorites since the opening line hit, and that number hasn't changed. According to our NFL odds, the general public is split with 50% on either side to cover.
The total has seen a little more movement, opening at 44.5 points and shifting to 43.5 across the board at the best sports betting apps. The public is a little more split on this one, but it's still not a strong lean: 55% of the wagers have come in on the Under.
📈 Vikings vs. Bears most-bet props
Here are some of the most-bet props at BetMGM ahead of kickoff, via John Ewing:
- Caleb Williams +25 rushing yards (-110)
- Olamide Zaccheaus Over 18.5 receiving yards (-130)
- Colston Loveland Over 2.5 receptions (-165)
- J.J. McCarthy Over 16.5 rushing yards (-115)
- Rome Odunze Over 47.5 receiving yards -115
🔢 Vikings vs. Bears stats
Season stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
| Vikings | Statistic (per game) | Bears |
|---|---|---|
| 25.4 | Points | 18.2 |
| 19.5 | Points allowed | 21.8 |
| +12 | Turnover margin | +8 |
| 237.8 | Passing yards | 181.5 |
| 109.1 | Rushing yards | 131.2 |
| 242.0 | Passing yards allowed | 217.9 |
| 93.4 | Rushing yards allowed | 136.3 |
| 5.3 | Net yards per play | 4.5 |
🚑 Vikings vs. Bears injury report
💡 More Monday Night Football expert picks
- Vikings vs. Bears prediction
- Vikings vs. Bears player props
- Vikings vs. Bears anytime touchdown scorer predictions
- Vikings vs. Bears first touchdown scorer predictions
- Vikings vs. Bears parlay picks
- Vikings vs. Bears expert picks
📺 How to watch Monday Night Football
- When: Monday, Sept. 8
- Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Soldier Field (Chicago)
- How to watch: ABC/ESPN
❓ Monday Night Football FAQs
Who plays on Monday Night Football?
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears square off on Monday Night Football.
When is Monday Night Football?
Kickoff for Monday Night Football is at 8:15 p.m. ET from Soldier Field in Chicago.
Who is favored to win Monday Night Football?
The Minnesota Vikings are the marginal 1.5-point betting favorite.
How do NFL odds work?
When betting on NFL odds, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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