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- Minnesota (11-2) is a 7-point home favorite over the Chicago Bears (4-9) in Week 15
- Jordan Addison is coming off a 3-TD performance and made 8 receptions for 162 yards and a TD in his last meeting versus his division rivals
- Monday Night Football kicks off from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN at 8:00 pm ET
Sam Darnold passed for a career-high five touchdowns in a 42-21 victory over the Falcons on Sunday. Just one game behind Detroit in the NFC North, the Vikings host a Bears team that was thoroughly embarrassed by the 49ers just days after firing their head coach.
Before we look at the odds for this divisional matchup, check out the best MNF bets for Week 15 and find the top betting sites for NFL football.
Vikings vs Bears
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Chicago Bears | +7.0 (-110) | +250 | Ov 43.5 (-110) |
| Minnesota Vikings | -7.0 (-110) | -300 | Un 43.5 (-110) |
Darnold’s career day
Sam Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on 15 passes for 265 yards and five TDs in a blowout victory over former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. Throwing for a career-high 157.9 passer rating, the 27-year-old’s day included strikes of 52, 49 and 42 yards. On pace for a 4,000-yard, 36-TD season, Darnold has Minnesota fans wondering if the franchise should be so quick to move on to J.J. McCarthy next year.
Darnold had 330 passing yards and 2 TDs in a 30-27 overtime victory over the Bears in Week 12. At 11-2, Kevin O’Connell’s club is still within striking distance of the 12-1 Lions with a Week 18 matchup looming.
This season, Sam Darnold has:
🔥More Pass Yds (3,299) than Lamar Jackson (3,290)
🔥More Pass TDs (28) than Josh Allen (23)
🔥Fewer INTs (10) than Patrick Mahomes (11)And the @Vikings are tied for the 3rd best record in the NFL pic.twitter.com/8l0uYwHQEn
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 9, 2024
Bears embarrassed again
Chicago showed Matt Eberflus the door after his clock mismanagement cost them a win over Detroit on Thanksgiving. But things went from bad to worse on Sunday as the Bears were outscored 24-0 in the first half by the 49ers.
After showing some promise under offensive coordinator Thomas Brown in recent weeks, Caleb Williams couldn’t keep his momentum going with Brown installed as head coach. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was sacked seven times. Chicago was limited to just 4 total yards in the first half and outgained by 315 yards.
Minnesota vs Chicago
Minnesota is a 7-point home favorite in U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday Night Football. The over/under is set at just 43.5 despite these teams combining for 57 points just three weeks ago. Kevin O’Connell has the #9 scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 26.1 PPG, while Chicago is in the bottom-ten at 19.5 PPG.
The Bears are #10 in scoring defense, permitting 21.4 PPG, but if last week was any indication, the unit will be a whole lot worse without Eberflus calling the shots. Brian Flores’ D is limiting opponents to 18.5 PPG (#6 in NFL) and is sure to have made a few adjustments after allowing Caleb Williams to pass for 340 yards and 2 TDs in their first meeting.
Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams thought 49ers LB Fred Warner was going to KILL HIM:
“I thought you were about to kill me.”
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 10, 2024
Best Bet
Chicago’s move to replace former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron with Thomas Brown produced immediate positive results. But promoting Brown to the big chair over Matt Eberflus produced the exact opposite negative impact on both sides of the ball.
With Darnold playing better than ever, the Vikings will cruise to a cover (-7) over their NFC North rivals. Take the OVER 43.5.
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