Free NFL Pick: Vikings vs. Bears Odds
Looking for Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears Free NFL predictions? NFL betting sees the Vikings taking on the Bears on 9/20 at Soldier Field, in Chicago. This free NFL football pick is based on matchup analysis and documented handicapping data tracked by CappersPicks since 2004, with a focus on identifying the strongest betting angle for this Vikings Bears matchup.
2026 NFL Handicapping – Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
(1-0) Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears (1-0)
Date: Sep 20, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Soldier Field in Chicago, IL
NFL Moneyline Odds: Vikings +201 | Bears -242 (Bet Now!)
Today’s NFL Betting Odds: Vikings +5.5 | Bears -5.5
NFL Football Gambling Total: O/U: 48.5
Here’s why I’m backing a Chicago ATS bet below in my Vikings Bears free pick & gambling prediction for this matchup.
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Vikings vs. Bears Gameday
Minnesota heads to Soldier Field Sunday for an early NFC North matchup with Chicago. Both teams are 1-0 after producing two very different versions of a high-scoring Week 1 victory.
The Vikings beat Green Bay 39-22, but that final score skips over quite a bit of drama. Minnesota trailed 22-10 in the third quarter before scoring 29 unanswered points to steal the game away.
Minnesota won by 17, which is a wonderfully dishonest description of how comfortable that afternoon actually was.
Chicago didn’t bother with the comeback routine. The Bears beat Carolina 59-37, piling up 552 yards and eight offensive touchdowns in one of the loudest opening statements of Week 1.
Now we find out what travels into Week 2.
Minnesota won 27-24 in its last visit to Soldier Field, while Chicago answered by taking the second meeting between these teams last season. The Vikings have generally controlled this rivalry in recent years, but Ben Johnson’s current Bears hardly resemble some of those earlier versions.
Week 2, Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears, and suddenly an NFC North game in September comes with a fairly serious scoreboard expectation.
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Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears Odds & Last 5
Chicago opened as a 5.5-point home favorite, with Minnesota getting +5.5. The opening total was 48.5, reflecting two offenses that combined for 98 points in Week 1.
Apparently the sportsbooks noticed.
Minnesota’s 39 points against Green Bay were impressive, although 22 came in the fourth quarter. The Vikings were being outplayed for much of the afternoon before their defense started creating problems and Wentz capitalized.
Chicago’s 59 was considerably less subtle.
The Bears ran for 291 yards and six touchdowns against Carolina, with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both clearing 100 yards. Caleb Williams added 269 passing yards and 65 more on the ground.
The last meeting at Soldier Field finished 27-24 in Minnesota’s favor. This version arrives with considerably more offensive horsepower on the Chicago side.
Bears Stats From Last Season
Chicago’s offense couldn’t have scripted a much better opener. The Bears scored a franchise-record 59 points in a season opener while producing 552 yards, including 291 on the ground.
Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns.
Williams threw for 269 yards and two scores while rushing for another 65 yards and two touchdowns. D’Andre Swift added 124 rushing yards and three scores, while Kyle Monangai needed only 10 carries to produce 100 yards and another touchdown.
Chicago ran for six touchdowns, which is less a rushing attack than a formal complaint from Carolina.
The defense wasn’t nearly as dominant. Carolina produced 478 yards and 37 points, with Bryce Young throwing for 361 yards and repeatedly finding opportunities downfield.
Chicago did create three takeaways.
That helped turn a 31-31 game into a runaway, as the Bears scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters. Explosive offense plus timely turnovers is a fairly convenient recipe.
Swift is limited this week with ankle and knee issues, while Monangai is dealing with a hamstring injury. Their availability deserves attention after Chicago’s ground game did so much damage in Carolina.
Vikings Stats From Last Season
Minnesota’s opener was considerably stranger. The Vikings finished with 39 points despite producing only 239 total yards, with turnovers and a monster fourth quarter completely changing the afternoon.
Carson Wentz deserves plenty of credit.
Wentz replaced Kyler Murray after Murray suffered a concussion and completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Justin Jefferson caught five passes for 92 yards and two scores.
The defense eventually flipped the game.
Minnesota sacked Jordan Love four times in the second half, while Green Bay committed two fourth-quarter turnovers. Dallas Turner finished with seven quarterback hits as Brian Flores’ defense turned a 22-10 deficit into a comfortable-looking final score.
The Vikings also held Green Bay to 66 rushing yards.
There are injury concerns entering Chicago. Murray remains in concussion protocol, while Jordan Mason was placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury and several defensive starters opened the week limited in practice.
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Vikings vs. Bears QB Matchup
Caleb Williams enters Week 2 after accounting for 334 total yards and four touchdowns against Carolina. He threw for 269 yards and two scores while adding 65 rushing yards and two more touchdowns.
That’s a decent way to start Year 3.
Williams knows he’s starting Sunday; Minnesota is still waiting for the concussion protocol to make that decision.
Kyler Murray started Minnesota’s opener but left after suffering a concussion. He was limited in practice Wednesday while remaining in the league’s concussion protocol, so his availability for Sunday hasn’t been settled.
Carson Wentz showed he can handle the alternative.
The veteran stepped in and threw three touchdowns on only 19 attempts, helping Minnesota erase a 12-point second-half deficit. He didn’t need huge yardage because the Vikings’ defense kept handing the offense increasingly favorable situations.
Chicago presents a different problem.
Williams is coming off a four-touchdown afternoon, while the Bears produced 291 rushing yards without asking him to carry the entire offense. Whether Minnesota gets Murray or Wentz, keeping Chicago’s offense parked on the sideline may be just as important as anything its quarterback does.
Vikings vs. Bears bottom line: Minnesota survived one quarterback change and a 12-point hole last week, but asking for another rescue mission at Soldier Field feels like getting greedy with the football gods.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears Football Betting Trends
- The Vikings have been successful against the spread in their last 6 regular season games, going 6-0.
- Plus, they also have a 6-0 record straight up in their last 6 regular season games.
- Additionally, Minnesota is 2-1 against the spread as an underdog in their recent regular season games.
- The Bears have a strong record as favorites, winning 7 of their last 8 regular season games straight up.
- Chicago is 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 games when they are favored.
- Also, in their last 6 regular season home games, the Bears have gone 5-1 straight up.
Vikings Bears Free Pick: Bears -5.5
Here is my Vikings Bears free pick: Bears -5.5 is my play Sunday. Chicago’s 59-point opener was ridiculous, but the part I trust most is the 291 rushing yards. That travels better than Week 1 fireworks usually do.
Minnesota won 39-22, yet the Vikings needed a fourth-quarter avalanche after trailing Green Bay 22-10. Carson Wentz threw three touchdowns in relief after Kyler Murray entered concussion protocol.
That quarterback question matters when you’re catching only 5.5.
Chicago scored 59 last week, which makes laying 5.5 feel considerably less ambitious than usual.
Chicago’s defense gave up 478 yards, so I’m not pretending the Bears became the 1985 version. Still, Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns, D’Andre Swift ran for 124 yards and Kyle Monangai added 100.
Chicago has too many ways to make Minnesota chase points.
The Vikings also placed Jordan Mason on injured reserve this week. Murray has returned to limited practice, but whether he clears protocol or Wentz starts, Minnesota is walking into a much different assignment than Green Bay gave it.
Soldier Field isn’t a magic trick, but Chicago’s offense looks built to make this number uncomfortable quickly. If Williams keeps Brian Flores from dictating the game and the Bears run anywhere near as efficiently as they did in Carolina, Minnesota will need another comeback.
I’m laying it.
Bears -5.5 is my play.
Today’s NFL Free Pick
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Chicago Bears on X
New Monsters of the Midway Cards just dropped 👀 pic.twitter.com/gnx8cSw1Wd
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 17, 2026
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