The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings are both eliminated from the playoffs, but we still have a Week 18 division matchup on our hands. The two sides met in Week 15, with the Vikings taking the win in a low-scoring 17-9 game. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Bears vs. Vikings Week 18 matchup, the NFL odds, and make a pick and prediction.
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings pick, prediction | Week 18
- Spread: Vikings -2.5 (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Moneyline: Vikings -140, Bears +120
- Over/Under: 44
Changes inbound for the Bears
The Bears have had a turbulent year, to say the least. While not yet confirmed, head coach Matt Nagy is likely leading his last game for the franchise. Meanwhile, the offseason will bring a recruitment process ideally designed to offer support to Justin Fields as the future of the club.
[bet-promo id=”160605″ ]With Fields still trying to work his way back from an ankle injury, who will start at quarterback for the Bears in Week 18? Ideally, the Bears get Fields back healthy and give him a little more game time before looking towards 2022. However, they could opt to avoid the risk of further injury and sit him in the regular-season finale against the Vikings.
Vikings will be disappointed to fall short
Following their defeat to the Packers on Sunday night, Minnesota was officially ruled out of the playoffs. Sean Mannion came in and actually played to a decent standard. But the question remains — why not give rookie Kellen Mond a shot?
Kirk Cousins continues to split the fan base. That much is clear. However, Mond — drafted by the Vikings in the third round this past offseason — has thrown only 3 passes, which all came last weekend against Green Bay. Cousins should be back, but perhaps we’ll see a little more of Mond in Week 18.
The Vikings do have some great pieces, though. Both Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook are stars.
Coaching changes could be coming for the Vikings too, but if they successfully piece things back together around their talent, they should be a playoff team in 2022. The defense needs a lot of work, and the secondary is decimated. I’d expect those areas to be a focus in the offseason.
Bears vs. Vikings betting trends
The Vikings won the first meeting between these two teams earlier this season. In that game, the Vikings were 7-point favorites and covered. The contest also fell way short of the over/under, with just 26 points scored in the matchup.
The Bears have since won both of their following games, including a very tight game against the Seattle Seahawks. They’ve covered the spread in both of those games, too, but split the over/under in each.
As for the Vikings, the win against the Bears was followed by two losses in what’s been a grueling schedule to finish the season.
In their losses to the Rams and Packers, the Vikings failed to cover the spread. However, both games hit the over, helped by the defense allowing 67 points in total.
Bears vs. Vikings prediction
The situation at quarterback for both sides is up in the air. We don’t yet know how close Fields is to getting back on the field. Yet, he did serve as the emergency backup in Week 17. That would tell me he isn’t miles away from being able to start the game.
As for Cousins, his return will depend on his COVID status. He tested positive on New Year’s Eve and will need to clear protocols in order to play in Sunday’s game.
With the information currently available, I’d prefer the Bears in this one. Their defense is better, and they can move the ball with Nick Foles/Andy Dalton. I’d like to see Fields, but I’m not sure we will. I can’t see this being a high-scoring game though, so I’ll take the under as well.
Bears vs. Vikings Prediction: Bears 20, Vikings 14