The Minnesota Vikings won both of their matches against the Chicago Bears last season (17-9 and 31-17) and are aiming for the same result on Sunday. Minnesota and Chicago will face off in an NFC North battle at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings should still be riding high after a victory, while Chicago will be looking to right the ship.
Minnesota decided to play defense against itself last week, but the squad still came out ahead despite their 97 penalty yards. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the New Orleans Saints, sneaking past 28-25. Minnesota's WR Justin Jefferson looked sharp as he punched in one rushing touchdown in addition to catching ten passes for 147 yards.
Special teams collected 16 points for Minnesota. K Greg Joseph delivered a perfect 5-for-5 game.
Meanwhile, the Bears scored first but ultimately less than the New York Giants in their game last week. Chicago fell to New York 20-12. Chicago couldn't find the end zone and got their points from four field goals. QB Justin Fields ended up with a passer rating of 116.40.
Special teams was responsible for all of the team's points. K Mike Badgley delivered a perfect 4-for-4 game.
Minnesota is the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past three games, so buyers beware.
The Vikings are now 3-1 while the Bears sit at 2-2. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Minnesota ranks second in the NFL when it comes to passing touchdowns allowed, with only three on the season. Less enviably, Chicago is stumbling into the matchup with the most rushing yards allowed per game in the league, having given up 183.3 on average. So the cards are definitely stacked against Chicago.