Bears vs. Vikings: Monday Night Football picks, odds, more for Week 12

This week’s Monday Night Football matchup will be a NFC North rivalry between the Chicago Bears (+3) and Minnesota Vikings (-3).

The Bears entered the 2023 season as a longtime basement dweller in the NFC, but after an aggressive offseason and some development from quarterback Justin Fields in the prior season, there was hope that the Bears could start to look like a team that could challenge for the NFC North title in 2023. However, when Fields hasn’t been hurt, he hasn’t looked much like a franchise quarterback, and the Bears sit at a rough 3-8 heading into Week 12. The Bears don’t have a completely talentless roster — wide receiver DJ Moore is still very much a star — but it’s looking like Chicago fans will be looking forward to the draft long before the regular season finishes once again this year.

The Vikings have had one of the crazier runs in the NFL this year. They entered the year as a playoff contender led by a very solid quarterback in Kirk Cousins and arguably the best wide receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson. However, the Vikings started the year at 0-3, and later saw Cousins go out for the year with a season-ending injury and Jefferson go for a stint on injured reserve. However, the Vikings traded for Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs and never looked back, possessing a winning record sans Cousins and Jefferson to sit at 6-5 on the season heading into Week 12. With their current record, the Vikings’ playoff hopes look slim, but they’re still one of the best stories in the NFL and a competitive team in any matchup.

How to watch Bears vs. Vikings: Monday, November 27

: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MIN

: 8:15 p.m. ET

TV channel: ESPN/ABC

Live stream: ESPN apps , Watch ESPN via desktop, ABC apps

Odds and predictions for Bears-VikingsPoint spread: Vikings -3
O/U: 43
: Bears +130, Vikings -155

Pick against the spread The Bears do have three wins this year, but they’ve all come against some of the NFL’s worst teams in the Commanders, Raiders, and Panthers. The Vikings may not be great this year, but they’re still a level above those teams and are deservedly the favorites in Monday night’s matchup. With quarterback Josh Dobbs, Minnesota has had no problems winning, going 2-1 with the former Cardinal under center, with their lone loss being by one point to a surging Broncos squad last week. Dobbs will have wide receiver Jordan Addison and possibly even Justin Jefferson this week, and shouldn’t have many problems putting up points on a struggling Chicago defense. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings defense hasn’t been the strongest, but Chicago has only put up 20 points or more in two of their past six games. Minnesota should win here and cover the spread of three points.

The pick: Vikings -3

Point total As mentioned above, the Bears haven’t had the most explosive offense this year. But the Vikings have enjoyed a bit more success, scoring 20+ in all but two games this season. It makes for a tough decision around a well-placed over/under of 43. Ultimately, I’m going with the under. Thursday night games have a tendency of getting ugly and low-scoring, and the last time these two teams met this year, the final score was an uninspiring 19-13. If Justin Jefferson ends up playing, things could get interesting, but as for now, picking under 43 seems like the smartest move in what could be a gritty and low-scoring divisional matchup.

The pick: Under 43

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.