There has been no shortage of close calls between the Vikings and Bears.
Of the 127 meetings between the franchise, 68 have been decided by one score, the most by any Vikings opponent in franchise history.
Minnesota holds a 35-31-2 advantage in those contests, with the most recent coming in the previous game between the two teams in Week 12 (a 30-27 overtime victory in Chicago).
Minnesota (11-2) and Chicago (4-9) will meet again for the second time in three weeks, this time on the Monday Night Football stage and under the bright lights of U.S. Bank Stadium.
With a win, the Vikings would not only punch their ticket to the postseason for the second time in three seasons under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, but they would join some exclusive company within their history as a franchise as well.
View practice photos of the Vikings wearing their new all-white Winter Warrior alternate uniform helmets as they prepare for the 2024 Winter Whiteout game against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
A victory on Monday would push Minnesota's current win streak to seven, marking just the 11th time overall and the first time since 2022 the Vikings have recorded a win streak of seven games or more (regular season and postseason games combined).
A win would also give Minnesota its 12th in just 14 games played, making this season just the sixth instance in team history and the first since 1998 (13-1 in 14 games) to reach that mark. It would be the first in franchise history with a 17-game season, as the 1998 team only played 16 games in the regular season (going 15-1). The 1969, 1970, 1973 and 1975 teams only played a 14-game schedule (all going 12-2).
Monday's game will be the 18th meeting between the Vikings and Bears in their history on MNF. Although Minnesota holds a slim 9-8 record in the 17 previous matchups, the Vikings are just 2-5 at home against Chicago in the specific prime-time slot.
The last Minnesota victory at home against the Bears on MNF occurred on Dec. 17, 2007, in a 20-13 final. Before that, you'd have to go all the way back to Dec. 19, 1988, for the only other instance, which ended in a 28-27 Vikings victory. Chicago's victories on MNF in Minnesota came in 1991 (34-17), 1995 (14-6), 1996 (15-13), 2010 (40-14) and last season (12-10).
Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:
Vikings 33, Bears 17 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Bears are out on the road for a second straight week after getting blasted by the 49ers. They didn't play well. Minnesota is rolling. Sam Darnold is playing at a high level, which I think will continue here. The Vikings will throw a ton of looks at Caleb Williams, which will lead to turnovers. It's ugly.
Vikings 28, Bears 17 – Staff, Bleacher Report
So much for the interim head coach bump. The San Francisco 49ers annihilated the Chicago Bears last week. The Bears trailed for about 57 minutes of that game, and their defense may be headed toward regression after defensive-minded Head Coach Matt Eberflus' dismissal.
After showing some improvement [in Week 12 against the Vikings] following the dismissal of Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron, the Bears offense is once again trending in the wrong direction.
The Vikings had the first look at the Bears offense with Interim Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown calling the plays. Our panel thinks that will benefit Minnesota in this second matchup as Chicago looks primed for a late-season collapse. [Brown has been promoted to Interim Head Coach].
[Bleacher Report editor Vince] Michelino senses a blowout victory for the Vikings.
"I'm not the only one who feels like things could get ugly on Monday Night Football, right? This one feels like a classic 'don't overthink it' situation for me," Michelino said. "The Vikings continue to hum along beating inferior opponents and very quietly are tied for the second-best record in the NFC. This is in large part thanks to Sam Darnold's heroics and CPOTY-worthy performance this season (despite his ineligibility) after throwing for five TDs last week.
"In almost perfect contrast, the Bears short-term outlook is bleak, and they've yet to win a game on the road this year, having just gotten blown out by the Niners," Michelino added. "Caleb Williams is in a can't-win spot and despite playing well when facing the Vikings a few weeks back, things have changed for the worse since then. Yes, this is a big number in a division matchup, but Minnesota is a quality team and should have its way with the Bears. I think this is an easy double-digit win."
Vikings 34, Bears 21 – Bill Bender, Sporting News
The Vikings are keeping pace with Detroit in the NFC North race, and Sam Darnold has 11 TDs and no interceptions in his past four games. Minnesota has a plus-4 turnover ratio in those games and is 6-1 at home. Caleb Williams hasn't thrown an interception in seven games, but he's also taken an average of five sacks per game.
Vikings 30, Bears 14 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
The Bears offense is impossible to trust around Caleb Williams, as it's been a mixed bag all season long no matter who's calling the plays. The Vikings have a clear, aggressive passing identity, and [Head Coach] Kevin O'Connell is rolling with Sam Darnold executing with his wide receivers. The Vikings keep romping to further bury a lost division foe in prime time.
6 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
11 of 11 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN
7 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report
7 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic
