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Week 1 concludes with a key NFC North matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears on 'Monday Night Football.' Chicago was 4-5 on its home field a year ago, while Minnesota was 6-2 on the road. The Vikings (14-3 in 2024), who finished second in the division, were 4-2 against divisional foes. The Bears (5-12), fourth in the NFC North, were 1-5 within the division. Vikings safety Harrison Smith (illness) has been ruled out, while star receiver Justin Jefferson is not on the injury report despite dealing with hamstring issues in the preseason. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and corners Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are among the inactives for Chicago.

Kickoff from Soldier Field in Chicago is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. The Vikings lead the all-time series 68-52-2. Minnesota is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest consensus Vikings vs. Bears odds. The over/under for total points is 43.5, down from opening at 45.5. Before locking in any Bears vs. Vikings picks, make sure to check out the Monday Night Football predictions from SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White.

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White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes against-the-spread picks and has gone 718-623-37 on his ATS picks from 2017-24, which returned more than $3,200 to $100 players. White also has a strong read on the Vikings. He is an outstanding 63-32-5 (+2792) on his last 100 picks in games involving the Minnesota Vikings. Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns. 

Now, White has set his sights on Vikings vs. Bears and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Bears vs. Vikings:

Vikings vs. Bears spread

Minnesota -2.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Vikings vs. Bears over/under

43.5 points

Vikings vs. Bears money line 

Minnesota -100, Chicago -110

Vikings vs. Bears picks

See picks at SportsLine

Vikings vs. Bears streaming 

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Why the Vikings can win

A healthy J.J. McCarthy takes over as Minnesota's starting quarterback. A knee injury cost the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Vikings all of last season. In three seasons at Michigan, he completed 67.6% of his passes for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He led the Wolverines to the national championship in 2023-2024, completing 240 of 332 passes (72.3%) for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with four interceptions and a 167.4 rating.

Sixth-year veteran Justin Jefferson is Minnesota's top wide receiver. In 17 games last season, he caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards (14.9 average) and 10 touchdowns. He had 28 explosive plays of 20 or more yards, including a season-long 97 yards with 496 yards after the catch and 62 first-down conversions. In a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 22, he caught 10 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Bears can win

Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams will look to improve upon last season's numbers under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. In 17 games last year, Williams completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,552 yards and 20 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also rushed 81 times for 489 yards and two explosive plays, including a long of 24. In a 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he completed 33 of 52 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, with two picks.

D'Andre Swift returns as Chicago's top running back. The sixth-year veteran played in 17 games in 2024, rushing 253 times for 959 yards (3.8 average) and six touchdowns. He also had 42 receptions for 386 yards (9.2 average). In an 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27, he carried 18 times for 129 yards and one touchdown. He also had 17 rushes for 91 yards and one touchdown in a 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 13. See which team to back at SportsLine.

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How to make Vikings vs. Bears picks

White has analyzed Vikings vs. Bears from every angle and he's leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Vikings vs. Bears, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?. You can head to SportsLine to see his Vikings vs. Bears picks. Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the expert that is 63-32-5 on his last 100 Minnesota Vikings picks, and find out.