America will once again have the pleasure of watching the Bears in prime time this week, as the Chicago Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
The Bears (4-9) are home underdogs against the Vikings (6-7). Matt Nagy’s squad led the Packers at halftime on Sunday night thanks to a few explosive touchdowns, but reality struck in the second half, as Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay to a 45-30 win.
Below, we have the best Bears betting lines at Illinois online sportsbooks as well as a matchup preview. Let’s get to it.
Vikings vs Bears Monday Night Football odds
Here are the current Bears game odds against the Vikings:
The Bears are 5-1 against the Vikings under Nagy, but it’s hard to like much about the 2021 version of Chicago.
For what it’s worth, Minnesota is 2-5 on the road this season and tends to play close games. The Vikings’ last 10 games have been decided by single digits, so while the Bears may be bad, one could see why they might actually be appealing from a betting standpoint.
One big injury development to watch will be the Bears’ left tackle Jason Peters. Peters left the Packers game with an ankle injury, and as a result, Justin Fields was running for his life the whole night. Rookie Teven Jenkins replaced Peters and committed four penalties.
However, the Bears could succeed in the run game if game flow allows. Minnesota has one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, as it gives up 4.7 yards per carry. That’s tied for 31st in the league.
Chicago, meanwhile, has had some success running the ball this season. The Bears rank seventh in the NFL in rushing.
There may not be many areas of strength on this roster, but they have some good ball carriers. David Montgomery is a legitimate starting running back, and the team has depth at the position in Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert. And Fields, who ran for 74 yards on Sunday, is a very talented runner.
If the Bears can get an early lead, they have a chance to control the clock. Of course, that hinges on slowing down an explosive Minnesota offense.
Not a typical Chicago defense
As usual, Bears part-owner Aaron Rodgers sliced and diced the Chicago defense, racking up four passing touchdowns.
The Bears are down to 19th in yards allowed per play, and they just haven’t been able to overcome key personnel losses. Without Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, the defense lacks juice and playmaking that Bears fans have grown accustomed to.
Chicago has done a good job of containing Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook over the years, but that doesn’t make facing him any less daunting. Cook notched 205 rushing yards in his first game back from injury last week, and Minnesota has a lethal play-action game.
In Cook and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings will have the two-best offensive players on the field. No. 2 receiver Adam Thielen is also excellent, but his status for the Bears game is in doubt after sitting against the Steelers.
Theilen’s status is significant, especially in facing the Bears. Chicago has one stud corner in Jaylon Johnson, but after Johnson, the position is a major weakness. Once the Packers schemed DaVante Adams away from Johnson in the second half on Sunday, he went off.
If Theilen plays, that presents a huge matchup issue for the Bears. Johnson has shown the ability to contain some of the game’s best receivers, but the same can’t be said for any other Chicago cornerback.
