Chicago Bears vs Minnesota Vikings Pick & Prediction, Sun Jan 09 01:00 PM
The Chicago Bears are ready to finish their season against the Minnesota Vikings. They’re prepared to put the nail in the coffin for Minnesota’s season on the road. In the meeting a few weeks ago, Minnesota got the best of the Bears 17-9. However, the game was really intense and had some pretty amazing moments.
The Minnesota Vikings are on the verge of an all-out collapse. You can imagine that win or loss; there’s going to be a coaching change. However, if they lose this game to the Bears, the change might directly follow the game. Mike Zimmer likely won’t save his job, but he can end the year with a win at least. Unfortunately, Minnesota could be down a few players.
Bears vs. Vikings Betting Odds
TV: FOX
MONEY LINE: Bears (+120) vs. Vikings (-140)
SPREAD: Bears +2.5 (-110) vs. Vikings -2.5 (-110)
GAME TOTAL: Over 44.5 (-110) vs. Under 44.5 (-110)
Bears vs. Vikings Preview, Trends and Stats
The Chicago Bears might not have had a great year, but they’re hoping to end it strong. Justin Fields might be out of this one, but they’ve got Andy Dalton available. Dalton’s great pocket presence can pick apart secondaries.
They’re also coming off an incredible 29-3 win over the Giants, where David Montgomery ran for two touchdowns.
To stop the Vikings, they need to focus on stopping Dalvin Cook. They did a great job against Cook a few weeks ago, holding him to just 89 yards rushing. Unfortunately, their offense couldn’t quite get going.
With Dalton under center, we think the Bears have a much better chance of winning this game, especially with how the Vikings were exposed last week.
As Minnesota finishes their season, plenty wonder what a win here would mean for the coaching staff. Their jobs aren’t secure even if they can get a win over the Bears; it likely just prolongs the inevitable.
The Vikings have a lot of incredible talent on offense but haven’t done much with it. The contract of Kirk Cousins is partly to blame, but not all.
Mike Zimmer getting an extension was a mistake on the Vikings' part. Having a “run-first” coach doesn’t work for their talent on offense.
Also, the system is outdated, and for being a “defensive-guru,” the Vikings give up a lot of points. This season, they give up 25.6 points per game, ranking 25th in the NFL.
Bears vs. Vikings Pick (Money Line)
Bears 20 - Vikings 17
The Vikings may be the favored team here, but don’t expect them to cover. They’ve been awful against the spread lately, going 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
The Bears haven’t been great either, but they bring a certain intensity that we like. Had their offense been operating well in the first meeting, the Bears could have had a different result.
We think the Moneyline is the best bet here. There’s no need to worry about the spread if the Bears can outright win the game.
Plus, you’ll get more winnings by taking the Moneyline in this one as well. Look for Chicago to win the game on the road, followed by a huge announcement from Minnesota.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Minnesota's last 20 games against Chicago.
2. Minnesota is 3-8 ATS in their previous 11 games at home.
3. Chicago is 6-3 ATS in their last nine games against Minnesota.
Best Bet: Chicago Bears ML +120
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Recap JAN 9TH 2022
Kirk Cousins completed 14 of 22 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings rallied for a 31-17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and Patrick Peterson each scored fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Vikings finished the game with 21 unanswered points. Ihmir Smith-Marsette also had a touchdown reception for Minnesota (8-9).
Andy Dalton completed 33 of 48 passes for 325 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Chicago (6-11). Darnell Mooney had 12 catches for 126 yards, and Damien Williams caught a touchdown pass.
The Vikings pulled even at 17-17 with 13:35 to go in the fourth quarter. Jefferson got behind Bears safety Eddie Jackson, and Cousins found him for a 45-yard touchdown.
Minnesota scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8:04 remaining. Cousins had time in the pocket and fired a strike to Osborn in the back left corner of the end zone for a 21-yard score.
On the Bears' next possession, the Vikings' defense stepped up. Peterson scored on a 66-yard interception return to make it 31-17 with 5:10 left. It was his first pick-six since Nov. 9, 2014, with the Arizona Cardinals.
Chicago started the scoring on its opening drive. Cairo Santos made a 43-yard field goal with 12:13 to go in the first quarter.
Santos connected again, this time from 46 yards, to make it 6-0 with five minutes left in the second quarter.
The Bears increased their lead to 14-0 after a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 31 seconds to go in the first half. Williams scored on a 23-yard reception for his 25th career touchdown (14 rushing, 11 receiving).
The Vikings got on the scoreboard with three seconds left in the half. Cousins completed three quick passes for 65 yards, and Greg Joseph ended the drive with a 39-yard field goal.
Early in the third quarter, Minnesota pulled within 14-10 on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Smith-Marsette. It was the second touchdown of the season for Smith-Marsette, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Iowa.
Chicago made it 17-10 on Santos' 42-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter.
--Field Level Media
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