The Chicago Bears will battle the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in what's a key divisional showdown with first place in the NFC North on the line.
The Bears are coming off a dominant showing in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers, where their offense went off for nearly 60 points, 552 yards, 291 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, featuring standout outings by quarterback Caleb Williams, running back D'Andre Swift and receiver Kalif Raymond. Meanwhile, the defense had its struggles allowing nearly 500 yards, 37 points and struggling to contain Bryce Young with the pass rush or in coverage.
There's a lot on the line in this early divisional matchup, where the winner will have sole possession of first place in the NFC North. Can the Bears
start the season out 2-0?
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Bears vs. Vikings odds, money line, over/under
Bears vs. Vikings predictions, picks for Week 2
Alyssa Barbieri
Bears 34, Vikings 30: It's unfair to expect 50-plus points for a second straight game, but for a Bears offense looking to score on every drive and become the highest-scoring in NFL history, the foot will be on the gas from start to finish. Flores might prove to be a subtle speed bump in this one, but I still expect Chicago to put up points and find a way to outlast a Minnesota team led by Carson Wentz.
Bold prediction: D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai both rush for 100 yards in second straight game
Brendan Sugrue
Bears 38, Vikings 31: This will likely be another high-scoring affair, and I would not be surprised to see the Vikings eek out a win. After all, the last few meetings between Johnson and Flores have been one-score games, and the Bears haven’t beaten Minnesota at Soldier Field since 2019. But that streak ends Sunday as the Bears claim sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
Bold prediction: Luther Burden goes over 100 receiving yards
Mike Pendleton
Bears 41, Vikings 24: The defense of the Bears left much to be desired, despite getting the victory last week, they appear as if they’ll need their offense to outscore everyone, but can still pull off a win if they get takeaways. Minnesota has injury issues across the board coming into this game, but there will be no task more important than hoping to contain superstar Justin Jefferson, no matter who the quarterback is. Ben Johnson said the Bears have not scored any points yet this week, he’s right, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against the defensive game plan of Flores.
Bold prediction: Bears defense forces at least two more takeaways on the Vikings
Vincent Parise
Bears 34, Vikings 28: Caleb Williams said it best after Week 1: they are just trying to win games any way they can. The goal at the end of the day is to be 2-0, which would also put them all alone in first place of the NFC North. Ben Johnson has had some success against Brian Flores in the past, can he do it again? All signs point to yes.
Bold prediction: Colston Loveland has 2 touchdowns after being held off the boxscore in Week 1
Ariana Pensy
Bears 31, Vikings 27: Six of the last eight times the Chicago Bears have faced the Minnesota Vikings, it was a one-possession game. While I believe Chicago’s offense is going to put a lot of points on the board and ultimately lead the Bears to a win, I do not believe they will blow Minnesota away. Brian Flores is too talented as a defensive coordinator to let the Bears put up at least 40 on them.
Bold prediction: Colston Loveland has over 100 receiving yards
Randy Holt
Bears 40, Vikings 31: Caleb Williams will be the star of the show and handle Brian Flores’ penchant for the blitz effectively, with Colston Loveland finding a way to make an impact this time out as well. Defensively, the Bears are going to be susceptible to points allowed regardless of who winds up under center for Minnesota. Containing Justin Jefferson for 60 minutes, especially, seems like an unreasonable ask for this unit. However, I do think that a couple of timely turnovers will allow the Bears to remain ahead in yet another shootout.
Bold prediction: Caleb Williams throws for more than 350 yards.
Bears-Vikings injury reports
Bears vs. Vikings time, TV channel today
- Kickoff time: 12 p.m. CT
- TV Channel: FOX
- How to watch online: Watch FuboTV (here's how to stream it live)
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Vikings predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 2 NFL game?
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