Week 15 of the NFL continues on Monday night as the Chicago Bears lock horns with NFC North rivals Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings head into the game with a chance to move into a Wild Card spot in the play-offs, should they win and the Washington Football Team loses to the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday.
Sadly for the Bears, it looks like they are already planning for next season and they have issues on both sides of the ball as they prepare to play in front of their home fans.
Covid-19 Issues to Spoil Chicago’s Chances
The Bears have lost their last two games, including last week’s defeat to NFC North champions Green Bay Packers.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers caused carnage for the Bears defence as per usual and their most recent loss means they are guaranteed a losing season.
That will be the first of the Matt Nagy era and he has defensive issues to worry about this week.
The Bears are ranked 27th in points against, 30th in forced turnovers and 29th in interceptions.
Even when they are at full strength, the Bears have struggled, and they now have injuries and a Covid-19 outbreak to deal with.
Chicago placed cornerback Jaylon Johnson and safety Tashaun Gipson on the reserve/COVID-19 list over the weekend, meaning the Bears have 14 players on the list.
A large chunk of their defence have been wiped out ahead of kick-off, and the Vikings should cover the -6.5 handicap result at odds of 10/11.
Cook to Torment Inexperienced Defence
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook looked a class above last week as he returned from a shoulder injury to help his team beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cook carried 27 times, picked up two touchdowns and gained 205 yards in a sublime display, and he is number three in total rush yards, despite missing three matches.
Chicago have struggled to contain the run all year, and with key personnel watching the game from home, Cook should run riot at Soldier Field.
He is 5/8 to score a touchdown anytime, while punters back him to score two or more touchdowns at 3/1.
Time for Cousins to Stand Up
The Vikings still have a great chance of reaching the play-offs, but they will need quarterback Kirk Cousins to improve his performances if they are to go all the way.
Cousins has a dire record in the play-offs, winning one of his ten appearances in the post-season.
With Chicago’s secondary lacking in top-flight experience, Cousins and his wide receivers should get into a rhythm, and a confidence-boosting victory could be just the tonic ahead of the playoffs.
Adam Thielen is still a doubt to return, but the form of Justin Jefferson has been a real plus point for the Vikings, and they should rack up the points, with over 44.5 catching the eye at 25/27.
*All odds correct at time of writing
