The Chicago Bears have dropped three of their previous five matchups and are last in the NFC North standings. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings has won four of their last five and is still chasing a potential NFC playoff spot despite a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Join me as I break down the NFL odds and offer a best bet for Bears vs. Vikings for Monday Night Football.
Bears vs. Vikings Betting Odds Analysis
Minnesota opened as a -190 favorite, but that number has shifted to -155 at Caesars. That’s the best moneyline number you’ll find in Illinois currently.
Minnesota opened as a -3.0 (-110) favorite, and while the -3.0 is still around, Caesars is giving us slightly better than even money (+105) to lay the points and back the home Vikings. All of the other Illinois sportsbooks offer -3.0 at vig anywhere for +103 to -110 on Vikings -3.0.
Caesars Illinois opened the total at 44.0 (-110), and the number and the juice are the same. FanDuel has Over 43.5 (-110) and the best number available for the Over markets anywhere in the Prairie State. The Under 44 markets are -110 straight across the legalized Illinois sports betting landscape.
Bears vs. Vikings Best Bet
The Bears haven’t been very successful for a while now. They are 4-16 over their last 20 matchups dating back to last season and 1-5-0 this season as the away team.
The Vikings are in a different situation. They lost starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to a season-ending injury, traded for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs, and since have won two of their last three with Dobbs under center. Minnesota All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson landed on the IR, yet the Vikings have somehow managed to win games.
Chicago has a terrible passing defense that Minnesota can and should be able to take advantage of. The Bears are 27th in opponent passing completion rate that Dobbs and a talented receiver room can take advantage of. Dobbs completes over 60% of his 30+ passing attempts per game, and I believe he can and will have a strong outing against this shaky Bears secondary.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has struggled throwing the football but is a dangerous athlete who can beat teams with his feet. He averages 5.2 yards per carry but meets a Vikings rushing defense, allowing an NFL-best 60 rushing yards per game at home this season.
This is tough, but my best is Vikings -3.0 (+105) at Caesars. NFL games end in three points more often than any other, and if Minnesota beats them by four, then we get a nice return on our wager. If they win by three, we get our money back; if we lose, we only lose the $100 and don’t pay the extra juice.
Finally, this wager is all about value. We get the best price, and the Vikings are a team that faces a Bears team with a 1-5 away record while struggling to win games at home. We’ll sit on the -3.0 (+105), but if you decide to wait this one out, you may get Vikings -2.5. Either way, you should be good with laying the points and playing Minnesota to cover.
My best bet: Vikings -3.0 (+105) at Caesars
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