After a full day of online NFL betting, the best sportsbook players around the nation are ready to bet on a little Monday Night Football. This week, the NFL has put together an enticing battle in the north between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. The Bears are still rebuilding their franchise and will be vying for their second win of the season. On the other hand, the Vikings will aim to remain relevant in one of the toughest divisions in the NFC. What do gambling websites have to say about this NFC North matchup?
Betting Minnesota
At 2-2, Minnesota still has a chance to win the NFC North title. The division is currently being held off by the Green Bay Packers, with their near-perfect 3-1 record. Behind them are the 3-2 Detroit Lions who earlier this past Sunday suffered a disheartening 27-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers. If Minnesota can pull off the win this Monday night, they’ll be right on the heels of Detroit.
Right now, the biggest sportsbooks on the web are pegging Minnesota as the odds-on favorite. However, most of the Vikings’ hopes hinge on whether or not Sam Bradford will be in the starting lineup. As of now, Bradford is listed as questionable but head coach Mike Zimmer is expecting his ace to be under center. Case Keenum got the start last weekend and behind his 76.9 passer rating Minnesota was not able to pull off the win against the Detroit Lions, another divisional rival.
If the Vikings want to prove that the best sportsbooks know what they’re talking about, they’ll need to jump to an early lead and put the Bears on the road. Chicago will have home field advantage Monday night and they have a decent running game. However, the Vikings just happen to have the 3rd best run defense in the entire NFL. Coupled with an early lead, there’s no way that the Bears could pull off the upset.
Betting Chicago
The 1-3 Bears are hoping to give their fans a show this Monday night and ultimately some hope that better days are coming in the future. It’s been 5 years since Chicago finished the year with a winning record and 7 years since they’ve made the playoffs. Their defense is certainly talented enough to get them into the postseason. But it’s been a blue moon since the Bears have had some semblance of an offense.
The same is true for the franchise heading into this Week 5 matchup. Chicago currently ranks penultimate in the NFL in scoring, 25th in total offense, 26th in passing and 11th in rushing. Tarik Cohen has been the principal force behind the Bears’ running game but he certainly hasn’t gotten much help from his quarterback.
Chicago drafted Mitch Trubisky in the first round this past draft, but have nonetheless chosen to stick with Mike Glennon this season. Glennon currently has 4 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and 833 yards to his name. It’s not the worst stats in the league, but it’s definitely not good enough to win you a division that has Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers tossing the pigskin on the other side of the field.
Best Sportsbook Betting Odds:
Minnesota Vikings -3 ½ (-105) 40 (-115) -180
Chicago Bears +3 ½ (-115) 40 (-105) +155
Next stop, Chicago. #MINvsCHI pic.twitter.com/WWjjh7qQaS
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 8, 2017
