Week 12 in the NFL wraps up tonight with the Bears and Vikings doing battle in Minnesota! Chicago may not have much to play for at this point, but the Vikings certainly do as they come into tonight with a record of 6-5. The Vikes are three-point favorites for the game and the over/under is set at 43.5.
The Bears
Despite an overall record of 3-8, the Bears aren’t playing terrible football right now. They’re 2-3 in their last five games and nearly came out of Detroit with a win last week. With just six games left in the season, Justin Fields is officially playing for his future. Chicago will almost certainly have one of the top two picks in next year’s NFL draft and it’s very likely they’ll take a quarterback. If Fields can play well down the stretch, though, there’s a good chance another team will take a chance on him with an offseason deal. Fields’ time with Chicago hasn’t gone the way many people envisioned it, but his talent and youth will be very enticing for some teams that are in need of a QB.
Because of this, I expect to see Justin running the ball a lot tonight. In his return to the lineup last week, he carried the ball 18 times for over 100 yards. Fields is at his best when he’s rushing, and if there was ever a time to showcase this talent, it’s right now. As always, D.J. Moore should also play a large role in the offensive game plan. As Chicago’s best receiver by a considerable margin, the Bears need to make sure he’s always getting ample opportunities. Chicago is not a good team, but when Fields is playing well and Moore is involved, they can be better than some people give them credit for.
The Vikings
On the other side of the field, we’ve got Josh Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings. The journeyman QB is 2-1 with Minnesota since being acquired in a midseason trade and has been fantastic in the short time he’s been with the team. After starting the season 1-4, Minnesota charged back into a playoff spot with five straight wins before losing a tight one last week in Denver. Although Justin Jefferson won’t make his return tonight before the bye, if Minnesota can get to 7-5 with him coming back, a trip to the postseason is very realistic.
Defensively, the Vikings have tightened up in recent weeks and will be looking to keep Chicago’s offence stagnant tonight. If Fields is contained on the ground, it’s usually very difficult for the Bears to consistently move the ball. Minnesota’s defence was awful last season, but statistically, they’ve made quite an improvement this year. After finishing 2022 28th in points against and 31st in yards against, they’re now 13th and 12th in those categories respectively. Clearly, something has changed for the better despite minimal roster moves.
Bears and Vikings: The Pick
Tonight’s tilt between the Bears and Vikings may not be the most anticipated game of the season, but there are still plenty of storylines to follow. Will Josh Dobbs get another win for the surging Vikings? Will Justin Fields build on last week’s rushing performance? We just hope it’s a close game. For our pick, we’ll take the Vikings to cover the three-point spread and the game to go over 43.5 points.
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