Vikings vs Bears NFL Week 11 Odds & Expert Pick

A classic NFC North rivalry will be renewed on Sunday night when the Minnesota Vikings head south to Soldier Field to Chicago to take on the Bears. This will be the 115th meeting between the two teams, a series that dates back to 1961, when the Vikings entered the NFL as an expansion team and upset the Bears, 37-13. The teams last played on New Year’s Eve a year ago, with Minnesota winning by 13. The Bears enter the game with a 6-3 record, just ahead of the Vikings, who sit at 5-3-1 thanks to their inability to make a field goal either in regulation or overtime, which led to a tie in Green Bay in the second game of the season. The Bears are contending this year after several seasons of mediocrity, but are they ready to take on the defending NFC North champs? Check out our NFL betting preview for this prime time tilt.

Vikings vs Bears NFL Week 11 Odds & Expert Pick

ESPN lists the #Vikings vs Bears showdown as one of the top matchups in the NFL this week. 📰: https://t.co/ZJwMNwzKXP pic.twitter.com/bYZwCQVceM

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 15, 2018

When: Sunday, November 18, 2018, 8:20pm ET Where: Soldier Field, Chicago TV: NBC Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Week 11 Odds: Chicago -3, O/U 45.5

Why should you bet on the Vikings?

Minnesota has had the bye week to prepare for this matchup; prior to that, they had won four of five, with the lone loss coming at home to the New Orleans Saints. On November 4, they beat the Detroit Lions with relative ease at home, by a score of 24-9. In that game, the vaunted Viking offense was somewhat muted, as Kirk Cousins only threw for 164 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tailback Dalvin Cook had one of his best games of the season, running for 89 yards on just ten attempts. The Vikings relied on their defense to keep the Lions in single digits. Minnesota has covered the spread in three of their last five games against NFC opponents and in eight of their last 11 games away from U.S. Bank Stadium. An area of concern might well be that offense against Detroit. It is true that Cousins spread the ball around, as six different receivers had more than one catch, but it’s not like the Lions have a consistently dominant defense either. If you like the Vikings, you see their experience in prime time paying off and their defense forcing Mitch Trubisky into mistakes.

Why should you put your money on the Bears?

Chicago has run off three wins in a row after a tough 38-31 home loss to New England. Since then, they have beaten the Jets at home, routed the Bills on the road and beaten Detroit at home, 34-22, with that victory over the Lions coming last week. Trubisky had a huge game against the Lions, throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns. His top target was Allen Robinson, who had 133 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Bears’ defense did not shut down Detroit, but they moved the ball so well that they didn’t need to. The Bears have covered in five of their last six games at home, in five of their last six against NFC competition and in three of their last five divisional games. If you like the Bears, you see the confidence that they picked up against the Patriots continuing to pay off, and the defense led by Khalil Mack giving the Vikings some fits. With the game in Chicago, it’s hard not to like a Bears team that is young and clicking.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

When the Bears added Mitch Trubisky as their franchise quarterback, I was not convinced that he would be able to make it as the day-to-day leader of the Bears’ offense. As he has progressed this year, he has proven me wrong. While the Vikings still have a talented defense, they’re not shutting teams down like they did last year, and I see the Bears taking advantage at home. My final score prediction is Chicago 27, Minnesota 20.