Week 1 wraps up with the fourth and final primetime matchup of what’s already been a fascinating first weekend of the 2025 NFL season.
Tonight’s Vikings vs. Bears matchup on Monday Night Football marks the highly anticipated debut of both Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy and Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The first regular-season appearance by Johnson and second-year Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been circled on NFL fans’ calendars since Chicago landed the former Lions offensive coordinator early in the offseason.
There’s a ton of intrigue for the Vikings, too.
Will McCarthy, who missed what would have been his rookie regular season after a knee injury last August, be able to keep the Minnesota offense on the right track?
He has big shoes to fill after Sam Darnold helped the Vikes go 14-3 in 2024 while averaging just over 25 points per game (9th-highest in the NFL).
How To Watch Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
- Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. EDT
- TV: ABC/ESPN
Vikings vs. Bears Odds: Spread, Moneyline
Vikings vs. Bears Injury News, Analysis
Bears vs. Vikings Injury News
Both teams have a few key players who have either been ruled out or are questionable for tonight.
Starting Minnesota safety Harrison Smith is out (illness), while left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) is questionable.
The Bears could be in trouble in the defensive backfield, as starters Jaylon Johnson (calf/groin) and Kyler Gordon (hamstring) are both questionable. Chicago will also likely be without starting linebacker T.J. Edwards, who is doubtful (hamstring).
Minnesota Vikings Betting News, Outlook
- 2024 record: 14-3 (4-2 NFC North)
- 2025 win total (DK): 9.5 (over +115; under -140)
- NFC North odds (FD): +360
McCarthy is in an interesting spot as an inexperience quarterback at the helm of a team coming off of an outstanding 2024 campaign. While most rookies take over franchises with low expectations, that’s not the case for McCarthy.
But he does have the benefit of throwing to an all-world wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, and his head coach, Kevin O’Connell, has consistently been able to scheme up open throws for his quarterbacks.
From Kirk Cousins in 2022 and 2023 to Sam Darnold in 2024, O’Connell has (deservedly) gotten a ton of credit for running quarterback-friendly offenses throughout his tenure as head coach.
Early in the season, Minnesota will not have Jordan Addison opposite Jefferson while the former serves a three-game suspension.
But following a recent trade for familiar face Adam Thielen and Jalen Nailor’s recovery from a hand injury, McCarthy will have a solid group of targets, and we haven’t even mentioned tight end T.J. Hockenson or talented pass-catching running back Aaron Jones.
On the other side of the ball, it’s hard to imagine the Brian Flores-coached Minnesota defense not being one of the league’s toughest.
Chicago Bears Betting News, Outlook
- 2024 record: 5-12 (1-5 NFC North)
- 2025 win total (DK): 8.5 (over +120; under -145)
- NFC North odds (FD): +650
Williams, the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, did not have the rookie season he or the Bears were hoping for, largely because of poor pass protection that resulted in Williams taking a staggering 68 (!) sacks. When a player’s sack rate (sacks/pass attempts + times sacked) is greater than 10 percent, as Williams’ was last fall, both the O-line and the quarterback shoulder plenty of blame.
The good news for Chicago is that on paper, the O-line got a lot better this offseason thanks to a trade for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and free-agent pickups Drew Dalman at center and Jonah Jackson at right guard.
There’s reason to believe that between Johnson’s play-calling prowess, Williams’ natural ability and a solid group of receivers featuring D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and rookie Luther Burden III, plus tight end Colston Loveland, the Bears could have a potent offense.
Even if you’re bullish on Chicago’s prospects this year, a big night in Week 1 vs. a good Vikings defense feels like a big ask.
Defensively, the Bears should be solid, but if Johnson, Gordon and Edwards are all out tonight, slowing down the Vikes will require a massive effort from the front seven.
Best Vikings vs. Bears Player Prop Bet
CHI RB D’Andre Swift o2.5 Receptions (+106 at FanDuel) — 1u
Swift is coming off his most productive pass-catching season in 2024, when he turned 52 targets into 42 catches for 386 yards, good for an impressive 7.4 yards per target.
Under a new coach who heavily featured both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the Detroit passing game, Swift should get plenty of looks in this game.
It’s worth noting that last year, Gibbs had at least three catches in 10 of 17 games, and he averaged 3.7 targets per game. Montgomery also got plenty of work as a receiver ouf of the backfield (he had at least three catches in nine of 14 games in ’24).
Two other reasons to like Swift to be busy as a receiver:
A) his backup, Roschon Johson, is listed as questionable
B) Swift was effective as a receiver in two games vs. the aggressive Minnesota D a year ago: he drew a total of just five targets, but turned them into four catches for 45 yards.
Vikings vs. Bears Prediction, Best Bets
If you’re taking either side of the spread in this game, you’re either putting your faith in a QB (McCarthy) winning on the road in his first start. …
Or you’re backing a second-year signal-caller (Williams) with a new head coach to beat one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.
The Vikings recorded 49 sacks last year, and they added two solid D-linemen this offseason in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. The Bears got better on the O-line this offseason, but Williams and the overhauled interior of the Chicago OL face a massive test tonight.
If DBs Johnson and Gordon were guaranted to be 100 percent healthy for Chicago, I’d probably go with the Bears. But with both of those key players listed as questionable, I’m not quite willing to roll the dice on them holding up vs. Jefferson, Thielen and the dangerous Minnesota passing game.
Just like in Baltimore vs. Buffalo last night, I recommend staying away from either side on the spread. If you do insist on taking a side, I like Minnesota (assuming one or both of Johnson/Gordon end up sidelined — or active but limited).
That being said, the bet I feel best about in this contest is the first-half under. There’s a chance McCarthy and/or Williams will get it going at some point in the second half, but I don’t expect many points at all in the early going tonight.
Best bets:
- First half under 21.5 (-112 at DraftKings) — 1 unit
- Vikings -1.5 (-110 at FanDuel, bet365) — 0.5 units
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