Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Predictions for Monday, September 8, 2025
The Minnesota Vikings will visit the Chicago Bears for the first Monday Night Football game of the 2025 NFL season, and we'll preview the lines and odds in our Vikings vs. Bears prediction. Chicago is looking to bounce back after spending 2024 at the bottom of a top-heavy NFC North; Minnesota is swinging big with new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy after a stunning 14-3 campaign last season. Kickoff is set for Monday, September 8, at Chicago's Soldier Field.
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How Will McCarthy Look in Vikings' Debut?
The Minnesota Vikings exceeded expectations in 2024, going 14-3 despite playing in an abnormally dominant division and playing Sam Darnold – an extremely distressed asset at this time last year – as their starting quarterback. J.J. McCarthy had joined the team as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but wasn't expected to play in his rookie season. A torn meniscus McCarthy suffered during the preseason took that decision out of the Vikings' hands, allowing Darnold to play 17 games without further discussion. He paid that off by throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nod, finishing 10th place in MVP voting, and signing a significantly more lucrative contract to start for the Seattle Seahawks.
Now, in 2025, the Vikings will get their first look at McCarthy under center in a regular-season game. The Vikings spent the offseason investing in their interior offensive line, signing former Colts starters Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to play center and right guard, then using the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to acquire left guard Donovan Jackson. The interior defensive line saw similar turnover, with the Vikings spending significant capital to bring in veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Elsewhere, the team added running back Jordan Mason, cornerbacks Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, backup quarterback Carson Wentz, and re-acquired receiver Adam Thielen. They'll be missing receiver Jordan Addison in this game as he serves a three-game suspension to open the season; safety Harrison Smith is doubtful for the game after an illness limited him in practice this week.
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Bears Opening New Era Under Johnson
The Chicago Bears enter the 2025 season with abounding optimism after the hire of head coach Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator from 2022-24 and one of the most coveted head coach prospects in the last two hiring cycles. Detroit's offense ranked among the top five in both yardage and points in each of Johnson's three years running the unit, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing for over 4,000 yards each year and posting a career-high 111.8 passer rating in 2024.
Chicago hopes that Johnson will find similar success quickly with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who entered the league as the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but was bogged down in a dysfunctional offensive ecosystem in his rookie year. Shane Waldron was fired as the Bears' offensive coordinator after nine games. Matt Eberflus became the first head coach in Bears history to be fired midseason after a notorious 20-23 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving. Williams, despite everything, finished the season having completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He also endured an egregious 68 sacks, losing 466 total yards across 10.79% of his overall dropbacks, and tying David Carr (2005) for the third-highest season total since sacks became an official statistic in 1960.
Johnson didn't spare any resources to fix the Bears' pass protection—the Bears traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and signed center Drew Dalman early in the free agency cycle. They joined an offense that carried over receivers D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet, and starting tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland figures to add another dynamic element to the unit after the Bears took him 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dennis Allen signed on as the team's defensive coordinator – a role he last filled for the Saints in 2021, when he coached a unit that finished in the top ten in yards allowed, points allowed, and takeaways.
Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Pick
Spread Pick for Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
- Chicago Bears +1.5 (-110) (4 Units)
The spread couldn't get any narrower here–barring a missed extra-point attempt, it'll be hard for the Bears to cover without outright winning. That's just what I'd take them to do; they're at home, hosting a quarterback playing his first real NFL game, and should have significantly better coaching than the team we saw at the end of 2024. I wouldn't expect either team to take this game easily – the NFC North shouldn't have any weak links this season – but I'll take the Bears at home in Week 1, while J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings' offense are still rounding into form.
Over/Under Pick for Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
- Under 44.0 (-110) (5 Units)
The Team Total Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the Bears and Vikings, only failing to hit in a 2024 meeting that the Vikings won 30-27 in overtime. In his last two seasons as the Saints' defensive coordinator (before joining the Bears), Dennis Allen led units that allowed the fifth-fewest and fourth-fewest points in the NFL. Brian Flores, as the Vikings' defensive coordinator in 2024, led a unit that finished fifth in points allowed. The 44-point total here isn't terribly high, but it'll be a significant achievement if either team does enough to hit it.
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