Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Preview
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
When: Sunday, January 1, 2017, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Chicago Bears (+5.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings (-5-5); total:41.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
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Betting on the Chicago Bears (+5.5)
The Chicago Bears were exactly what we thought they were on Saturday: a bad football team. The Bears were pounded almost close to submission by Kirk Cousins and the Redskins, who handed Chicago a 41-21 beatdown at Soldier Field in Week 16. Now, the Bears will look to end a three-game skid and punctuate another forgettable campaign with a victory against the visiting Vikings this coming Sunday.
Any thoughts of Matt Barkley being the answer at quarterback in Chicago were summarily executed by Washington, which picked the signal-caller five times.
That said, the loss to Washington saw the continuation of talented receiver Cameron Meredith’s rise. Meredith, who has been one of the few bright spots on the Bears’ offense along with Jordan Howard, had nine receptions for 135 receiving yards and a touchdown. Meredith now has back-to-back 100-yard performances coming into the showdown with the Vikings, who was burned by Aaron Rodgers and company last Saturday for 308 passing yards. Barkley isn’t Nelson, but Meredith is apparently the type of receiver who could make suck quarterbacks resemble a Nelson, at least in some moments of a game.
Howard, on the other hand, is a more constant weapon this season for the Bears. Howard was instrumental in Chicago’s 20-10 win over Minnesota way back in Week 8, when the running back had 153 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. He’ll get Minnesota’s rush defense that allows 101.9 yards per contest.
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings (-5.5)
It’s not always that Sam Bradford passes for over 300 yards this season, but on Saturday he did—albeit in a losing cause, throwing for 382 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 38-25 loss to Green Bay.
Hopefully for the Vikings, Bradford will turn up the heat again in the season finale against the Bears. Bradford needs better protection, however, after he was sacked by the Packers four times for a loss of 29 yards. In the first meeting with the Bears, Bradford went 23 for 37 for 228 yards and a touchdown with no picks but was taken down five times.
The Vikings, however, appeared to have found a new dependable threat downfield that Chicago barely saw in the previous meeting in Adam Thielen. Thielen exploded for 202 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions versus Green Bay and together with Bradford, will look to shred Chicago’s defense that was torn apart for 270 passing yards by Kirk Cousins last week.
Minnesota is 2-1 ATS in its last three home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago (-5.5) wins, 19-17.
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