The Chicago Bears will try to avoid becoming the first team in franchise history to lose 14 games in a season when they face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Chicago is riding a nine-game losing streak after getting blown out by Detroit last week. Minnesota has already clinched the NFC North title and guaranteed a home game in the playoffs, but they could move up to No. 2 in the conference if Arizona beats San Francisco.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Minnesota is favored by 7 points in the latest Bears vs. Vikings odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 42.5. Before entering any Vikings vs. Bears picks, you'll want to see the NFL predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 160-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 14-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of this season.
The model ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bears vs. Vikings. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NFL betting lines for Bears vs. Vikings:
- Bears vs. Vikings spread: Vikings -7
- Bears vs. Vikings over/under: 42.5 points
- Bears vs. Vikings money line: Chicago +240, Minnesota -305
- Bears vs. Vikings picks: See picks here
Why the Bears can cover
Minnesota technically has a chance to move up in the NFC standings on Sunday, but the Vikings know that is an extremely unlikely scenario with San Francisco being a heavy favorite against Arizona. The Vikings have not been playing well down the stretch of the regular season, narrowly beating the Giants on Christmas Eve after having to put together a historic comeback against Indianapolis the week before. Their luck ran out last week, as they were blown out by Green Bay in a 41-17 final.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed just 18 of 31 passes for 205 yards and three interceptions in that loss. Minnesota's defense ranks No. 28 in the NFL in scoring and is dead-last in passing yards allowed per game. Chicago is going to be without starting quarterback Justin Fields (hip), but veteran backup Nathan Peterman could give the offense more of a passing threat than usual. The Bears also have the top-ranked rushing attack in the league, so they are primed to pull off an upset to close the season against a struggling Minnesota team.
Why the Vikings can cover
Minnesota is coming off one of its worst performances of the season, so the Vikings will be wanting to get back on track before the playoffs begin. They have been one of the top offensive teams in the NFL this season, ranked seventh in total offense. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has completed 65.3% of his passes for 4,322 yards and 28 touchdowns, with wide receiver Justin Jefferson hauling in 124 receptions for 1,771 yards.
Running back Dalvin Cook leads the rushing attack with 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt. Chicago is still in the mix for the top draft pick later this year, so the Bears do not have an incentive to win on Sunday. They are also having to play with a backup quarterback who has not started in four years, giving Minnesota a huge advantage in this divisional matchup.
How to make Vikings vs. Bears picks
The model has simulated Bears vs. Vikings 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Vikings vs. Bears? And which side of the spread is hitting over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Bears vs. Vikings spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the model that has crushed its NFL picks, and find out.
