Vikings vs Bears Odds, Picks and Predictions for Monday Night Football

• The Vikings are 1.5-point road favorites over the Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 1
• J.J. McCarthy will make his highly anticipated NFL debut
• Keep reading for the Vikings vs Bears odds, plus my picks and predictions for MNF

There’s a lot of buzz coming out of Chicago these days about the Bears. On Monday, we’ll find out if it’s warranted. Chicago hosts the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North showdown on the NFL’s signature night, and online sportsbooks expect a tightly contested affair in the latest Monday Night Football odds.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15pm ET from Soldier Field, with ESPN and ABC providing the broadcast coverage.

MIN Vikings vs CHI Bears Odds

The Vikings are currently 1.5-point road favorites, and -122 on the moneyline. The Bears come back as +102 underdogs, while the total sits at 43.5. As of Sunday, the spread betting action is relatively split, with Minnesota drawing slightly more tickets (57%) and handle (56%) according to the NFL public betting percentages.

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Odds as of Sept. 7 at DraftKings. New customers can claim the DraftKings promo code and get a bonus to bet on MNF.

Vikings vs Bears Picks & Prediction

• Bears +1.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Chicago has gone under its NFL win total odds in five straight seasons, but my Vikings vs Bears picks predicts a fast start in 2025. The biggest reason is the addition of offensive guru Ben Johnson as head coach, who is a massive upgrade over those previously in charge. Johnson was the mastermind behind the Lions offense over the last three seasons, that were consistently among the league’s best.

In 2024, Detroit led the NFL in total yards, points and touchdowns, and there’s plenty of optimism Johnson can turn around a Bears offense that does have a ton of talent. Caleb Williams was last year’s number one pick for good reason, and his skill position group led by DJ Moore and Rome Odunze is extremely talented.

Johnson has plenty of experience facing Minnesota from his time with Detroit, and his offenses routinely carved up Brian Flores’ defense. In the last four meetings against the Vikings, the Lions put up 31, 31, 30 and 30 points. Williams struggled for a good chunk of his rookie season, but his Week 12 performance versus Minnesota was one of his best of the campaign (340 yards, 2 TD).

Defensively, Chicago is not elite, but there are things they do well that give them an edge. The Bears ranked sixth in pressure rate last season, and it looks like shutdown corner Jalen Johnson will go on MNF. Johnson held Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson to 2 catches for 27 yards last time he shadowed, and will likely spend the bulk of the game trying to lock him down.

The Minnesota offense meanwhile, looks a lot different than the team that morphed into a surprising Super Bowl odds contender in 2024. J.J. McCarthy will make his highly anticipated NFL debut, after sitting out last year due to injury. The former 1st round pick saw limited reps in the preseason, throwing for 30 yards on seven attempts. Playing in front of a raucous Chicago crowd is not a soft landing spot for McCarthy, and history has not been kind to rookie QB’s making their debut on the road.

Rookie QBs on the Road in Week 1

Since the merger, rookie QBs are 5-22-1 on the road in Week 1. They’ve covered in only eight of those games, with their teams averaging just 17.9 points. The last rookie QB to win on the road in Week 1 was Sam Darnold, and that was back in 2018.

To make matters worse, McCarthy won’t have his full complement of offensive teammates. Number-two wideout Jordan Addison is suspended for the first three games of the season, while stud left tackle Christian Darrisaw is not a lock to play as he works his way back from a torn ACL and MCL. I’m expecting Minnesota to protect McCarthy as much as possible, limiting his pass attempts and leaning on running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.

Asking a rookie QB to win on the road, in his first NFL start, without two of the offense’s most important players is a huge ask. I’m betting that McCarthy can’t buck the Week 1 rookie QB trend, and that the Chicago offense operates much more efficiently with Johnson calling the shots. Give me Bears +1.5 on MNF, a pick backed by the trends in the NFL ATS records.

Week 1 divisional home underdogs are 23-7 against the spread since 2010. They’re 10-2 ATS over the last seven seasons, and have covered in 18 of 22 instances since 2012.