The final match of week 8 in the NFL season comes from Soldier Field in Chicago as the Chicago Bears host their division rivals Minnesota Vikings in a crucial NFC North clash on Monday night. Green Bay’s defeat on Sunday means the Vikings can go two games clear in the division with the tie-breaker on their side too with a win while Chicago need to win to keep something remotely competitive about their season.
Chicago Bears
The Bears go into this match 1-6 for the season and really that is a statistic that tells the right story. They have had their issues on offense and on defence this season and generally when that is the case you are in for a period of struggle. Chicago go into their bye week after this and would love to do it with a win.
Chicago head into this match with the likes of Eddie Royal and Kyle Long both doubtful while Eddie Goldson may well miss out too. Jeremy Langford, Cameron Meredith, Tracy Porter and Josh Sitton are all listed as questionable so the Bears really are ravaged by injury.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings came out of their bye week last week and duly lost their unbeaten record for the season and they will be keen to put that defeat to Philadelphia behind them and get back to winning ways. They have the chance to take control of the entire Conference if they can find another spurt of form and there is no bigger incentive than that.
Minnesota have been getting a lot of things done on defence this season and that has taken the pressure off of Sam Bradford and his offense but with Adrian Peterson and Jerick McKinnon both missing the game with injury there may be more onus on Bradford to get the job done himself. Stefon Diggs could be an important player for him.
Betting
Normally I am reluctant to back a side giving up as many as 4.5pts on the road off the back of a pretty significant defeat but I’m willing to make an exception here because Chicago Bears are absolutely decimated by injuries and it would be a monumental effort for them to keep this close.
In fairness they would have had their work cut out in that regard anyway given the elite nature of this Minnesota Vikings defence but key Bears absentees only swing this further into the hands of the Vikings. I fully expect the Vikings to get back to winning ways and they should have enough on both sides of the ball to cover a 4.5pt head start.
Tips
Back Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) to beat Chicago Bears for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Paddy Power
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