Tonight brings us an unexpected doubleheader in the NFL, capped off by an NFC North showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. This is the first of two meetings between these teams late in the season, with the road team winning both games last season, including a Vikings, win on a Monday night in Chicago. On Monday, the Vikings are listed as 6.5-point favorites on the road with an over/under of 44.5 points.
Chicago’s season appears to be all but over. The Bears have lost seven of their last eight games, including five losses during that stretch by 10 points or more. At 4-9, they are technically alive in the playoff race but would need a miracle to get there.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are very much in the playoff race despite having a losing record at 6-7. Minnesota can pull into a tie with New Orleans for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC with a win on Monday. Of course, Tuesday’s Washington-Philadelphia winner will also be tied for that spot, so there is plenty of competition for that last spot.
Cooking Up Something
For a December game in Chicago, the running game will be vital, and that means the Vikings are giving the ball to Dalvin Cook a lot. The good news is that Cook went off for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers last week, giving him at least 85 rushing yards in four of his last five games. The Vikings should also be happy with the performance of Kirk Cousins this season, although, with Adam Thielen questionable, the Minnesota passing game could be a little short-handed.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, they can’t afford their offense to have an off night. The Vikings have allowed 29.3 points per game over their last six games and couldn’t even hold onto a big lead last week against the Steelers without things getting close. With Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen out, the Vikings don’t have much of a pass rush, putting a great strain on the rest of the Minnesota defense.
Fielding Questions
If running the game is important on Monday night, the Bears might be in good shape, as they are a top-10 rushing team this season. Of course, a big part of that is because Justin Fields contributes to that, leading the team in rushing in last week’s loss to Green Bay. As a passer, Fields still has a ways to go, throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions last week in his return from an injury.
To be fair, the Chicago defense hasn’t done Fields and the offense many favors lately. The Bears have allowed 88 total points over their last two games, although seven turnovers from the offense, including a pick-six last week, haven’t helped. The kicker is that the Bears are likely to be missing most of their starters in the secondary on top of the players they’ve already lost to injury this season.
Seeing Purple
The Vikings are undoubtedly flawed, but Fields and the Chicago offense aren’t set up to fully take advantage of a porous Minnesota defense. At the same time, the Vikings have been rolling offensively lately and will be facing a short-handed defense. Bet on the Vikings to win and cover on Monday night.
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