To conclude the 2018 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings (-6) are ready to welcome their NFC North foe Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. This critical late afternoon matchup is scheduled to begin at 4:25 p.m. ET and FOX has the TV rights.
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview
Chicago is a live dog and is currently getting 6 points in this Sunday NFC game. The Bears are also receiving +190 moneyline odds while the Vikings are -230. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 41 points. There will probably be some good live betting opportunities for this game.
Sharp bettors are siding with the Vikes. The opening line was originally -4 and the over/under was set initially at 41.5.
Both of these teams have rewarded gamblers this year as the Bears have gained 5.0 units and the Vikings are ahead 3.4 units.
The Bears are 11-4 straight up (SU), including 4-1 SU against NFC North opponents. The Vikings are 8-6-1 SU overall and 3-1 SU against divisional foes.
The Bears just put together a 14-9 victory over San Francisco in Week 16. Mitchell Trubisky completed 25-of-29 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown. Jordan Howard (53 yards on 13 rushes, one TD) led the ground attack while Allen Robinson II (six receptions, 85 yards) and Trey Burton (five catches, 30 yards) manned the receiving duties in the win.
Minnesota just earned a 27-9 win over Detroit a week ago. Kirk Cousins completed 21-of-28 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook (73 rushing yards on 16 attempts) spearheaded the running game as Kyle Rudolph (nine receptions, 122 yards, two TDs) and Adam Thielen (five catches, 80 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Chicago’s run the ball on 47.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Minnesota has an overall rush percentage of 37.4 percent. The Bears have run for 118 yards/game (including 96 per game against North opponents) and have 13 scores on the ground this year. The Vikes are averaging 95 rushing yards per game (82 in conference) and have nine total rush TDs.
The Bears offense has logged 239 yards per contest through the air overall (233 per game against conference opposition) and has 28 passing scores so far. The Vikes have produced 278 pass yards per game (289.2 against NFC competition) and have 29 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Chicago has let opponents rush for an average of 81 yards and throw for 248 yards per game. The Minnesota defense has allowed 222.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 109.7 yards per game on the ground. The Bears are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 4.17 to opponents, while the Vikes have given up a 5.19 ANY/A.
Offensively, Trubisky has amassed 2,825 passing yards this year, and has completed 66 percent of his 380 attempts with 22 passing scores and 12 interceptions. He’s got a 6.41 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 8.64 over the last two outings.
The Bears have tried to maintain tempo by putting the ball into the hands of their running backs. In addition to wideout Allen Robinson II (700 receiving yards and four touchdowns), Jordan Howard (766 rush yards, six rush TDs, 125 receiving yards) and Tarik Cohen (396 rush yards, two rush TDs, 686 receiving yards, four receiving TDs) have delivered in the offensive scheme for Chicago.
In the home locker room, Kirk Cousins has managed to complete 391-of-552 passes for 3,951 yards, 27 TDs and nine INTs. Cousins’ ANY/A sits at 6.61 for the season and 9.30 over his last two outings.
The Vikes also like to keep their RBs involved. In addition to Dalvin Cook (257 receiving yards, two receiving TDs), Kyle Rudolph (592 receiving yards and four receiving TDs) and Adam Thielen (31 rush yards, 1,316 receiving yards, nine TDs) have gotten quite a few action recently.
RELATED: Week 17 NFL Betting Odds and Predictions
NFL Pick: Bears at Vikings
SU Winner – Bears, ATS Winner – Bears, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
The O/U for Chicago’s previous game was set at 44. The under cashed in the team’s 14-9 triumph over San Francisco.
As a team, Chicago has averaged 4.2 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.3 over its last two.
Minnesota has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over its last three contests and 4.7 over its past two.
Both teams have lost 10 fumbles this year.
Over its last three contests, Chicago is 3-0 ATS and the under cashed in each of those three.
Chicago has won nine of its last 10 games SU, with a three-point loss to New York on December 2nd representing the only defeat over that stretch.
The O/U for Minnesota’s previous game was 41.5. The under cashed in the 27-9 victory over Detroit.
Over its last three matches, Minnesota is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Bears offense has registered 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Vikings have put up seven such plays.
Both defenses have allowed nine pass plays of 40+ yards. The Chicago defense has given up 17 pass plays of 30+ yards while Minnesota has yielded 19 such plays.
The Chicago offense has created 16 rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Minnesota has created 12 such runs.
The Bears defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Vikings have given up five such runs.
The Minnesota defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 50 times this year. Chicago has registered 46 sacks.
