The Chicago Bears are guaranteed to finish last in the NFC North again as they close the season at the division champion Minnesota Vikings, who are looking for a first-round playoff bye.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

All of the motivation here belongs to the division champion Vikings. They would clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs and the NFC’s No. 2 seed with a victory. However, if Minnesota loses, the Saints lose in Tampa and the Panthers win in Atlanta, Carolina would leapfrog the Vikings for the No. 2 seed. Minnesota wins a head-to-head tiebreaker against New Orleans but loses one to Carolina.

Minnesota looks to sweep Chicago for the first time since 2015 – the Vikings haven’t lost at home in the series since the 2011 season. In Week 5 this year, the Vikes were 3.5-point favourites in Chicago and won 20-17. That was a noteworthy game for a few reasons. First, it might have been the worst first half in the NFL this year with Minnesota leading 3-2 at the break. Second, it was the last time Minnesota opening day starting QB Sam Bradford played. He had returned from a Week 1 injury but clearly wasn’t right and was replaced late in the first half. Case Keenum replaced him and led the Vikings to 17 second-half points and hasn’t given up the job since.

In addition, it was the NFL debut of Bears first-round rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky, who threw for a TD and ran for a 2-point conversion but also had a terrible late interception that led to the game-winning field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

Chicago Bears

There are going to be several head coaches fired next Monday – Black Monday as it’s known – and one of those surely will be the Bears’ John Fox. Chicago (5-10 SU, 7-7-1 ATS) had been 0-7 under Fox as a betting favourite all-time but ended that skid with a 20-3 victory over wretched Cleveland on Sunday. Trubisky, whom the Browns considered selecting with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, threw for 193 yards to set a franchise single-season record for a rookie and rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown. He had one interception that was returned for a touchdown called back due to penalty. Jordan Howard rushed for two touchdowns. Fox might have been fired Sunday had Chicago lost at home to the winless Browns.

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota (12-3 SU, 11-4 ATS) won at Green Bay on Saturday night, 16-0, the team’s first shutout since 1993, which is incredibly hard to believe. Ironically, that was also a 16-0 win over the Packers in a prime-time game. It helped quite a bit that Green Bay didn’t have star QB Aaron Rodgers this time. Minnesota actually was outgained 239-236 on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. One piece of bad news from the game was left guard Nick Easton suffering a season-ending fractured ankle. Saturday was the first time since Oct. 9 that all five Vikings starting offensive linemen started a game together.

Weather

condition

dome

Injuries

Chicago

DeAndre Houston-Carson (S)

Out Sun Back - 30 / 12 / 17

Bobby Massie (T)

Out Sun Knee - 29 / 12 / 17

Sherrick McManis (CB)

Ques Sun Illness - 21 / 12 / 17

Joshua Bellamy (WR)

Prob Sun Foot - 20 / 12 / 17

Tom Compton (T)

Prob Sun Concussion - 20 / 12 / 17

Pernell McPhee (LB)

I-R Shoulder - 20 / 12 / 17

Josh Sitton (G)

Out Sun Ankle - 20 / 12 / 17

Chris Prosinski (DB)

I-R Concussion - 16 / 12 / 17

Adam Shaheen (TE)

Out Sun Chest - 12 / 12 / 17

Kendall Wright (WR)

Prob Sat Shoulder - 12 / 12 / 17

Minnesota

Stefon Diggs (WR)

day-to-day Back - 21 / 01 / 18

Pat Elflein (C)

day-to-day Ankle - 21 / 01 / 18

Michael Floyd (WR)

Prob Sun Illness - 18 / 01 / 18

Mackensie Alexander (CB)

Prob Sun Ribs - 17 / 01 / 18

Adam Thielen (WR)

Prob Sun Back - 17 / 01 / 18

Andrew Sendejo (S)

Prob Sun Concussion - 14 / 01 / 18

Shamar Stephen (DT)

Out Sun Knee - 14 / 01 / 18

Everson Griffen (DE)

Prob Sun Foot - 11 / 01 / 18

Terence Newman (CB)

Prob Sun Foot - 10 / 01 / 18

Kyle Rudolph (TE)

Prob Sun Ankle - 01 / 01 / 18

Injuries

Chicago

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
DeAndre Houston-Carson (S)	Out Sun	Back - 30 / 12 / 17	1-0	0-1	+ -
Houston-Carson has a back injury and will not be active Sunday against the Vikings.
Bobby Massie (T)	Out Sun	Knee - 29 / 12 / 17	1-0	0-1	+ -
Massie has a knee injury and will be inactive Sunday against the Vikings.
Sherrick McManis (CB)	Ques Sun	Illness - 21 / 12 / 17	1-1	0-2	+ -
McMannis has come down with an illness and it is undetermined if it will keep him out of Sunday's lineup against the Browns.
Joshua Bellamy (WR)	Prob Sun	Foot - 20 / 12 / 17	1-1	0-2	+ -
Bellamy is dealing with a foot injury but is likely to take part in Sunday's game against the Browns.
Tom Compton (T)	Prob Sun	Concussion - 20 / 12 / 17	1-1	0-2	+ -
Compton missed the previous game with a concussion but will likely be cleared in time for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
Pernell McPhee (LB)	I-R	Shoulder - 20 / 12 / 17	1-1	0-2	+ -
McPhee has a shoulder injury and is on the injured reserve list.
Josh Sitton (G)	Out Sun	Ankle - 20 / 12 / 17	1-1	0-2	+ -
Sitton sat out the previous game with an ankle injury and will be inactive Sunday against the Vikings.
Chris Prosinski (DB)	I-R	Concussion - 16 / 12 / 17	2-1	0-3	+ -
Prosinski has been placed on injured reserve with a concussion.
Adam Shaheen (TE)	Out Sun	Chest - 12 / 12 / 17	2-1	0-3	+ -
Shaheen missed the last two games with a chest injury and will not be active Sunday against the Vikings.
Kendall Wright (WR)	Prob Sat	Shoulder - 12 / 12 / 17	2-1	0-3	+ -
Wright is dealing with a shoulder injury but is expected to line up against the Lions on Saturday.

Minnesota

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Stefon Diggs (WR)	day-to-day	Back - 21 / 01 / 18	0-1	1-0	+ -
Diggs exited Sunday's game due to a lower-back injury and it is unclear if he will return.
Pat Elflein (C)	day-to-day	Ankle - 21 / 01 / 18	0-1	1-0	+ -
Elflein exited Sunday's game with an ankle injury and will not return.
Michael Floyd (WR)	Prob Sun	Illness - 18 / 01 / 18	0-1	1-0	+ -
Floyd is ailing from an illness but is likely to suit up against the Eagles in the NFC championship game.
Mackensie Alexander (CB)	Prob Sun	Ribs - 17 / 01 / 18	0-1	1-0	+ -
Alexander is dealing with injured ribs but is expected to be available for the NFC championship game against the Eagles.
Adam Thielen (WR)	Prob Sun	Back - 17 / 01 / 18	0-1	1-0	+ -
Thielen has a lower-back injury and but is expected to suit up against the Eagles in the NFC championship game.
Andrew Sendejo (S)	Prob Sun	Concussion - 14 / 01 / 18	0-2	1-1	+ -
Sendejo has been diagnosed with a concussion but is expected to be cleared in time for the NFC championship game against the Eagles.
Shamar Stephen (DT)	Out Sun	Knee - 14 / 01 / 18	0-2	1-1	+ -
Stephen suffered a right knee injury and will not play in the NFC championship game against the Eagles.
Everson Griffen (DE)	Prob Sun	Foot - 11 / 01 / 18	0-2	1-1	+ -
Griffen was confined to a limited role in practice due to a foot injury but is expected to suit up for the NFC divisional round against the Saints.
Terence Newman (CB)	Prob Sun	Foot - 10 / 01 / 18	0-2	1-1	+ -
Newman has an injured foot but is likely to suit up for the NFC divisional round against the Saints.
Kyle Rudolph (TE)	Prob Sun	Ankle - 01 / 01 / 18	0-2	1-1	+ -
Rudolph is likely to take part in the NFC divisional round against the Saints despite a sprained ankle.

Bears vs. Vikings Prediction