Vegas Odds: Bears vs. Vikings |
After their fourth straight loss, the Chicago Bears are favored to lose a fifth as they are 3.5-point underdogs against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday (Noon / FOX), according to DraftKings.
The over / under is 39.5 points. Three of the last four games Chicago has played against the Vikings have been one-score games. These teams always play each other hard. Furthermore, three of Minnesota’s last five games have been decided by one possession. Because of how close these games historically are and because the Vikings have been in close games a lot recently, the Bears will cover the spread in this game. An over / under of 39.5 points is pretty low. Given how the Bears offense has played, this is not surprising. However, their offense is rather different under offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Brown’s offensive scheme should better exploit Minnesota’s weakest on defense - their passing defense. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams made a purposeful effort to distribute the ball last week against the Green Bay Packers, with three different players being targeted at least seven times. While the defense will surely be important in this matchup, the over will still hit in this game. Minnesota’s passing defense is good at one thing - interceptions. They lead the league in interceptions with 16. However, under Brown, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has been protecting the ball and has been far more accurate. His 231 passing yards were the most for him since Chicago’s win against the Carolina Panthers back in week six. Going against the defense that allows the seventh-most passing yards, Williams will hit at least 250 passing yards. Rookie receiver Rome Odunze led the Bears in targets last week with ten and led the team in receiving with 479 yards. Minnesota had one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL, creating a prime opportunity for Odunze to have another strong performance. Therefore, he will have at least 60 receiving yards for the third time in four games. Another player who should benefit from the Vikings’ passing defense is DJ Moore. Moore was targeted seven times last week with 62 receiving yards. In the four previous games Moore has played against Minnesota, he has averaged 74.8 receiving yards. Thus, he will also put up at least 60 receiving yards against the Vikings this Sunday. Running back Roschon Johnson has scored two of the past three touchdowns for the Bears. With fellow back D’Andre Swift on the injury report, Johnson could get more opportunities when Chicago takes on the Vikings. Minnesota is one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL and have only allowed three rushing touchdowns by opposing running backs. However, Johnson will find his way into the endzone for the second straight game. Same Game Parlay In a same-game parlay with Chicago covering the spread (-115), the over-hitting (-108), Williams throwing for at least 250 passing yards (+295), Odunze getting at least 60 receiving yards (+190), Moore getting at least 60 receiving yards (+135) and Johnson scoring a touchdown (+130), a $5 bet would have a payout of $255 and odds of +5,000 according to DraftKings.
