Chicago Bears (4-9) @ Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
Monday, December 16, 8:00 PM ET
The Minnesota Vikings have really been one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this year, haven’t they?
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has got to be a front-runner for NFL Coach of the Year for helping transform Sam Darnold from a 1st-round bust into a guy who is probably about to get a $100 million contract or more in 2025 NFL free agency. The man just threw five touchdown passes in a single game and has a whopping 28 touchdown passes already this season.
And the Vikings appear ready to coast to their 12th win this season on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears.
The Bears are free-falling right now, and there’s really no end in sight. They went to San Francisco this past weekend and got absolutely smoked. They’re going to see another iteration of the offense they faced against Kyle Shanahan with Kevin O’Connell coming from that same coaching family, but with even better overall weapons.
The Vikings are hitting their stride at the perfect time. Offensively, this team has been able to do pretty much whatever it wants all year long. And with Caleb Williams taking so many sacks this season, you can’t help but feel like the Vikings have an even bigger margin for error in a game like this. With Detroit facing off against Buffalo this week, there is a chance the Vikings could pull even closer to getting the top seed in the NFC. They will have the benefit of watching all of Sunday’s events unfold, and even with the added pressure, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Vikings are winning this one at home.
They are seven-point favorites against the Bears.
Prediction: Vikings win 34-23