The door to the playoffs is slowly closing for the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears, but they can still salvage their respective seasons, starting with an all-important victory in their critical showdown this coming Sunday. Both teams are stuck in the bottom of the NFC North standings and a win for either side will help them keep pace with the streaking Lions and Packers who are just rolling right now in the division.
Can the Vikings keep their winning streak going? Or will the Bears finally arrest their three-game slide? Read on for a complete preview of this NFC North matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Seahawks vs. Chiefs and Browns vs. Texans.
[sc:Football ]Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears Betting Preview and Prediction
When: Sunday, November 16, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
Line: Minnesota Vikings (+3) at Chicago Bears (-3); total: 47.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings
Even with all the drama surrounding their franchise, the Minnesota Vikings are still hanging tough in the NFC North as they recorded their first back-to-back wins of the season last week to remain right in the thick of the division race.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Matt Asiata was the star of the show for the Vikings as he rushed for three scores, including the go-ahead touchdown with 3:27 left in the game to give Minnesota the morale-boosting 29-26 victory over the Washington Redskins and in the process spoil Robert Griffin III’s return.
The 27-year-old running back, who has stepped up in Adrian Peterson’s absence, now has two three-touchdown games this season and will definitely be a crucial figure in support of the team’s passing game against Chicago this coming Sunday. Asiata will have to contend with the Bears’ defensive line that is 15th in the NFL in rushing defense this season allowing 112.6 yards per game.
The Bears’ defense, though, as a whole have been quite shambolic recently. They have allowed an average of 44.3 points in their last three defeats to Miami, New England and Green Bay. Against the Packers last Sunday, they surrendered a total of 451 yards in an embarrassing 41-point rout.
That is definitely good news for Teddy Bridgewater who’s slowly finding his feet as the starting quarterback for the Vikings. In their come-from-behind win against the Redskins, he completed 26 of 42 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. He threw a touchdown pass in the final minute of the first half and connected on four first-down throws on the go-ahead drive to seal the victory for Minnesota.
All of those heroics though, wouldn’t be possible without the superb play of their defense. The Vikings sacked RGIII five times last Sunday resulting in a loss of 26 yards. That kind of defensive pressure is what they will need to bring against the Bears’ Jay Cutler who has been quite erratic this season, especially at home.
Through three games at Soldier Field this season, Cutler has already thrown five interceptions with the Bears losing all of those matches.
The Vikings are 3-2 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman didn’t mince words when talking about struggling quarterback Jay Cutler after their debacle against Green Bay last Sunday. He said, “He didn’t play well enough yesterday, and we didn’t play well enough. I’m certain he’d take accountability for that. But it’s very clear he did not play well enough yesterday. We can’t sugarcoat that.”
Clearly, Trestman’s patience is running thin with his star quarterback. Cutler was once again a disappointment for the Bears in their humiliating 55-14 defeat to the Packers, completing just 22 of 37 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown and two picks.
He finished the game with a passer rating of just 68.8, his worst mark of the season. He is only 22nd among starting quarterbacks in that department this season with a 92.7 clip. His dip in form has coincided with the Bears’ freefall in the standings with Chicago losing for the fifth time in its last six games. The Bears dropped down to the bottom of the NFC North table with a 3-6 slate.
That’s why it’s a welcome relief for him that the Bears’ next opponents would be the Minnesota Vikings. Cutler has a 7-2 lifetime record against the Vikings in his career and was superb in their last meeting, going 27 of 38 for 292 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in a nail-biting 31-30 win last season.
That’s all in the past though. Cutler has difficulty protecting the football this season committing a total of 15 turnovers (10 interceptions and five fumbles) resulting into a total of 65 points by their opponents. It won’t get any easier for Cutler against the Vikings who are plus three in the turnover department in their last two games.
Also, it wouldn’t help matters that the Vikings possess the fourth-best passing defense in the league this season with a solid 213.6 yards per game clip. The Bears have been horrible with their passing attack the last three games, averaging just 219.6 yards per outing during that span.
The Bears are 0-3 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bears (-3) finally record their first home win of the season.
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