Betting Matchup Preview
Game Details
- Who: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
- When: Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Where: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Betting Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Bears +285, Vikings -345
- Spread: Bears +7.5 (-110), Vikings -7.5 (-110)
- Total: Over/Under 44 (-110/-110)
Note: Odds and lines are current from DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of writing and are subject to change.
Well, Bears fans…where do we go from here?
Last week Chicago endured a 20-12 loss to the New York Giants, dropping to 2-2 and third place in the NFC North. Meanwhile, the 3-1 Minnesota Vikings return home in Week 5 following a 28-25 nailbiter win against the New Orleans Saints in London.
This divisional meetup will be the second of the season for each team. The Vikings eked out a 28-24 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 3, while the Bears suffered a 27-10 beatdown at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
While rivalry games are typically projected to be close affairs, that is not the case with this contest. This NFC North clash is one of many lopsided contests listed at legal sportsbooks for Week 5.
Of course, that doesn’t preclude us from sprinkling a few Bears wagers into our betting cocktail this week. The mismatched odds give bettors some wiggle room on either side.
Spread, Moneyline, Total: Bears vs. Vikings
The Vikings moneyline against the Bears might be the most reasonable choice this week, but there’s not a lot of value there at -345, so we’ll look elsewhere to maximize our profits.
The total and the point spread are two viable alternatives. We noted that the spread is fairly large this week at 7.5, however, which means Minnesota has to win by more than a touchdown to cover. That could certainly happen, but the Vikings’ last two games have been very close, continuing a trend from last year. They also may not be their sharpest after traveling across the pond last weekend.
Accordingly, we like the total better. Chicago is averaging just 16 points per game (31st in NFL), including only 11 points per game on the road. Minnesota’s averaging 21.5 points per game, so we don’t expect a ton of big plays from either side, especially with the Bears ranking 11th in points allowed per game (19.3).
Feeling spicy? Long-time Bears fan? Maybe both? If you answered yes to any of these questions, might we interest you in Chicago +7.5? It’s hard to ignore a free touchdown. This is one of the riskier bets you can make this week, but if you’re a faithful Bears bettor, you could do much worse. If you want an extra boost, Chicago +10 is available at DraftKings with odds of -150. Those added points could go a long way, especially in a divisional matchup.
Player Prop Bets: Bears vs. Vikings
This game offers quite a few player prop bets that look enticing, but we’ll whittle it down to a few key choices here.
- Dalvin Cook Over 77.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
Cook has rushed for at least 76 yards in three of his four games this year, topping 90 twice. He should be busy against this Bears defense, especially if the Vikings jump out to an early lead and need to milk the clock.
- Justin Fields Under 0.5 Passing TDs (+130)
The Bears’ passing game has yet to click. Fields is averaging just 117.8 passing yards per game and has only had one game with double-digit completions and more than 20 pass attempts. Only two of his throws have found the end zone, and both were during Week 1. He’s more likely to run it in than pass it in at this point, so bet on another goose egg in the passing TD column.
Our Same-Game Parlay
Each week, we build a same-game parlay by combining multiple bets into a single wager with better odds than either would offer individually. For today’s parlay, let’s pit the two quarterbacks in this game against each other:
- Justin Fields Under 174.5 Passing Yards (-140)
- Kirk Cousins Over 249.5 Passing Yards (-115)
This SGP combines for odds of +260, which means a winning $100 wager would get you $260 in profits plus your original stake back.
On one side, you’ve got a young quarterback struggling to develop in a broken system. On the other side, you’ve got a seasoned and reliable quarterback who can move the ball downfield.
The Bears may end up relying on the run game this week, especially if Fields and Darnell Mooney can’t connect. With Byron Pringle on the injured reserve, Chicago doesn’t have many reliable pass-catchers for Fields to throw to. He’s gone under 175 passing yards in all four games this year, so we expect that trend to continue.
Meanwhile, Cousins can target Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen all day long. He’s notched at least 250 passing yards in three of his four games this year, only falling short against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in primetime. Even then, he still threw for a respectable 221 yards despite being pressured for much of the evening.
