The Chicago Bears look to remain in the thick of the playoff hunt this week when they host the Minnesota Vikings.
The two NFC North rivals are set to collide on Monday Night Football.
Despite the Bears being two games ahead on the Vikings in the division standings, oddsmakers still see Chicago as a home underdog on Monday.
Will Iowa sports bettors be able to capitalize on a home underdog?
How to watch Vikings at Bears
- What: Minnesota Vikings (3-5, 2-2 Away) at Chicago Bears (5-4, 2-2 Home)
- When: 7:15 p.m. CST, Monday, Nov. 16
- Where: Soldier Field
- TV: ESPN
- Online Livestream: ESPN Plus
- Radio: Bears Radio, WBBM 780 AM
- Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 83; XM Channel 225
Oddsmakers favor Minnesota on the road
Though the Bears come in with the far better record, Bears bettors should know that oddsmakers are listing Chicago as a home underdog this week.
| Vikings at Bears Week 10 Odds | DraftKings | FanDuel | Fox Bet | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | MIN -3 -104 CHI +3 -118 | MIN -2.5 -124 CHI +2.5 +102 | MIN -3 CHI +3 | MIN -2.5 -121 CHI +2.5 +100 | MIN -2.5 -120 CHI +2.5 +100 |
| Moneyline | MIN -155 CHI +135 | MIN -162 CHI +136 | MIN -154 CHI +135 | MIN -150 CHI +130 | MIN -150 CHI +130 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | O 44.5 U 44.5 | O 44.5 -114 U 44.5 -106 | O 44.5 U 44.5 | O 45 -105 U 45 -115 | O 45 U 45 |
Across the board, sportsbooks have the Bears as a 2.5- to 3-point underdog against the Vikings.
Looking at the moneyline, the Bears are ranging from +130 to +136. The Vikings are coming in with a range of -150 to -162.
The over/under is listed at 44.5 or 45 points, depending on the sportsbook.
Bears perform well at home against Vikings
The Vikings and Bears have had over 100 meetings all-time in their history.
Minnesota currently holds a slight 60-56-2 advantage in the series, but the Bears are 33-23-2 in the games played in Chicago.
This will be the first of two meetings this season, with the second game scheduled for Dec. 20 in Minnesota.
Recent history is strong with the Bears. Chicago has won the last four meetings with the Vikings straight up. Even more important for sports bettors, the Bears have covered the spread in five of the last six against Minnesota. Chicago has also covered in four straight home games with the Vikings.
Public betting isn’t shying away from the road favorite. The Vikings are getting 54% of the current wagers for this game.
Chicago looking to stay in NFC North hunt
While the Bears are currently riding a three-game losing streak after a 24-17 loss on the road to the Tennessee Titans last week, Chicago is still in the NFC North chase.
Chicago is just 1.5 games back of the Green Bay Packers in the division, with two games against the Packers still on the schedule.
The Bears still have solid defensive numbers for the season, but they have allowed at least 23 points in four straight games.
That’s an issue as the Chicago offense continues to sputter. The Bears rank near the bottom of the league with just 19.8 points and 317.8 yards per game.
Nick Foles hasn’t produced that magic. He has 1,746 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Protection has been a problem, as Foles has been sacked 16 times.
Last week, the Bears dealt with a lot of injuries and COVID-19 issues upfront. Chicago may be somewhat depleted on the line this week as well.
Also not helping is that starting running back David Montgomery is in concussion protocol after suffering an injury against the Titans. Montgomery has 472 of the team’s 741 rushing yards this season.
Vikings seek third straight victory
While Chicago may be trending backward, the opposite is true for the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota has picked up back-to-back wins in the NFC North, defeating the Packers 28-22 in Green Bay and then the Detroit Lions 34-20 at home.
After a 1-5 start to the season, Minnesota is now just three games behind the Packers at the midway point.
A big reason for the recent surge was getting Dalvin Cook back off injury. Cook suffered a hamstring injury in an Oct. 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and then sat out a loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Cook returned in Green Bay and rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns while catching two passes for 63 yards and a score. Against the Lions, Cook ran for 206 yards and two scores and caught two passes for 46 yards.
The return of Cook has alleviated the pressure off Kirk Cousins. Cousins struggled early in the season but has been more of a game manager in the last two wins. He’s thrown just 34 passes combined in the victories and has four touchdowns with no interceptions after throwing 10 in the first six games.
Cook has also helped the defense, as Minnesota has given up its fewest points of the season in both wins. Minnesota has improved its time of possession, leaving the defense on the field less.
