Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings Monday Night Football Pick

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings Monday Night Football Pick: It’s amazing when you can look at numbers and hardly recognize which team is 9-4 and which team is 5-8. Obviously, this isn’t just a game of statistics or the Chargers would only have a couple losses – but Chicago scores just 2 points per game more than the Vikings and they give up just a few points less. The average point-differential for the Bears is just +2 – but I’m sure that was skewed down a bit after the Patriots went ballistic on them last week. But it’s outside of obvious stats like points against where the difference is harder to explain. The Vikings gain more yards and allow fewer yards than the Patriots. They hold the ball longer and take fewer penalties. You wouldn’t think they’d be better in all those categories, but the numbers are there. The numbers obviously lie from time to time, but they are there.

This game is without a line because nobody wants to give the game a spread when they know the Vikings are almost an impossible bet. They will almost surely be putting rookie quarterback Joe Webb in as their starting quarterback (unless Brett Favre makes a miraculous recovery). Tarvaris Jackson is on IR and Brett’s career is in the ER.

The Bears have been lucky with injuries, keeping most of their core alive and well through the first 14 weeks of the season. They only have 2 players on IR, both of which were IR’d before the season. Desmond Clark and Marcus Harrison are questionable and Pisa Tinoisamoa is out for the regular season. So they have one regular guy not playing this week. The Vikings have 6 guys on IR, a couple guys out, and a few more questionable.

I just don’t find a reason to go with the Vikings – the game is even suited to better fit the Bears, as it will be an outside game because the Vikings’ dome is all out of air.

If the Vikings are without Favre, I don’t know, I’d take the Bears -7 (there offense isn’t good enough to go much further than that, and even 7 is scary). If Favre plays, I might take the Vikings +4. So it’s a tough one. Hope that helps!

Chicago Bears (-1.5) @ Minnesota Vikings