by James Q
Wednesday, Dec 15, 2021Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Previews and Picks 12/20/2021
Game Time: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, December 20th, 2021
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening MLB Odds at USA Sportsbooks
FanDuel: point spread: Viking -3.5: O/U 44 points
BetMGM: Viking -3.5; O/U 44.5 points
Caesars: Viking -3.5; O/U 44 points
Season Record
Vikings: 6-7 NFC North
Bears: 4-9 NFC North
Outside of the Green Bay Packers the NFC North has little to be proud of. The Minnesota Vikings led by quarterback Kirk Cousins have been disappointing. They are not a playoff team as the standings sit right now and they would need to win out to become one. The Vikings won on Thursday night football against the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-28… which is nice, but their season unofficially came to an end when they were beaten the weekend before by the league’s worst team the Detroit Lions 29-27. After the Bears they have the Packers and the Los Angeles Rams before the Bears again to finish the season. They will lose to the Packers and Rams… so what they do against the Bears almost doesn’t matter. WR Adam Thielen should miss this game, which is OK since their best receiver is clearly young guy Justin Jefferson. Dec is going to be rough.
The Chicago Bears ran into a brick wall this season. It started when they got off on the wrong foot by trying to play fossil Andy Dalton at quarterback. Bears fans wanted rookie Justin Fields to start, the coach, Matt Nagy, wanted to try to keep his job… the fans were disappointed, Coach Nagy will finish the season before being escorted out of the facilities. The four wins have been against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Detroit Lions, the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, and the Detroit Lions again. Coming into Monday Night Football this is a team that will be relieved when the season comes to an end. The Bears defense struggles against the passing game and the run game and they are the bright spot of the team. One thing we know is the roster will be overhauled in the offseason… the draft will be mined for talent and Justin Fields will have to limit the fumbles and interceptions.
Winning the "Big Plays" is THE goal. This 38-year vet has done "just that" these last four weekends. He won his CFB Game of the Year 11/20 (Mia-Fl), then followed with B2B "Signature" CFB wins on 11/27 (LEGEND with LSU) and on 12/4 (38-Club with Pitt). He moved to the NFL in Week 14, winning his Game of the Year on Dallas, and for Week 15, it's a LEGEND Play. FIVE in a row?! Get Larry Ness’s picks!!.... They are available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Preview and Analysis
RECENT FORM
The Vikings are 6-7 on the season, but 7-6 ATS. They have logged 8 Overs and 5 Unders. They are a terrible 205 in road games.
The Bears are 4-9 on the season and 4-9 ATS. They have notched 5 Overs and 8 Unders. They are a terrible 2-4 in home games.
Offensive Analysis
The Vikings are 11th in points per game with 26.5, 3rd in ypg with 390.5. They break down into 7th in passing yards and 10th in rushing yards. They have a quality offense.
Defensive Analysis
The Viking DO NOT have a quality defense. They are 29th in the league in yards allowed with 381.5, 25th in pass defense allowing 251.9 yards, 27th in rush defense allowing 129.5 yards… and of course they get scored on a lot…. They allow 25.6 ppg. Those draft picks should all be spent on defense.
Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Prediction
Our prediction for Monday, December 20th is… Vikings 28 - Bears 21
The Viking will score and cover the spread but not before allowing 3 touchdowns. The bet is Vikings and the Over.
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NFL Betting Trends
Key Injuries
Vikings: WR Adam Thielen Quest ** CB Bashaud Breeland (illness) Questionable… The Vikings have 5 players in Covid protocol.. Some or all could return for Monday night, but they also could lose more (as any team, especially the Browns could)
Bears: QB Andy Dalton (hand) Probable ** OL Germain Ifedi (knee) Out ** DL Akiem Hicks (ankle) Quest **
Starting Lineups
Vikings: QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR K.J. Osborn, WR Justin Jefferson, TE Tyler Conklin, TE Chris Herndon, LT Oli Udoh, LG Ezra Cleveland, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mason Cole, RT Brian O’Neill
Bears: QB Justin Fields, RB David Montgomery, WR Allen Robinson, TE Jesse James, TE Jimmy Graham, TE Cole Kmet, LT Jason Peters, LG Cody Whitehair, C Sam Mustipher, RG James Daniels, RT Larry Borom
Statistical Leaders
Viking
Touchdowns: Dalvin Cook 6
Rushing Yards: Dalvin Cook 978
Passing Yards: Kirk Cousins 3,569
Receiving Yards: Justin Jefferson 1,288
Sacks: Danielle Hunter 6
Interceptions: Eric Kendricks 3
Bears
Touchdowns: David Montgomery 4
Rushing Yards: David Montgomery 608
Passing Yards: Justin Fields 1,585
Receiving Yards: Darnell Mooney 740
Sacks: Robert Quinn 14
Interceptions: Tashaun Gipson Sr
Weather Forecast
Sunny. High of 41*. Cold 15 mph wind at Soldier Field.
James Q
About the Author:
James Q. has been involved with sports and gambling his entire life. A former division 1 scholarship basketball player, James understands sports (and especially basketball) inside-and-out. Following his basketball playing days, James parlayed his gambling skills into a semi-pro poker career. James resides in Los Angeles, and especially loves the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Dodgers. And when he isn't betting on sports (and writing about it), James can be found performing stand-up comedy on the Sunset Strip.
