Vikings vs. Bears Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 1 (Bet Bears to Upset)

Using the latest odds and analysis to predict the final score of the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears matchup on Monday night.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Monday Night Football matchup in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season features the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Chicago Bears in a battle between two first-round quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

J.J. McCarthy will make his regular season debut for Minnesota, and oddsmakers have the Vikings favored in this matchup in Chicago. Meanwhile, Caleb Williams is hoping to usher in a new era in Bears football with head coach Ben Johnson at the helm.

This season at SI Betting, we’re attempting to predict the final score of each NFL game as a fun way to help bettors decide on the spread or total in their wagers. We’ll still have our game previews, props and more, but this is a fun way to potentially hit big on an exact score prediction.

I believe there is an upset brewing in this NFC North clash, so let’s dive into the latest odds and my pick for Sunday’s matchup. 

Vikings vs. Bears Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Vikings -1.5 (-108)
• Bears +1.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Vikings: -122
• Bears: +102

Total

• 43.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Vikings vs. Bears Final Score Prediction

Earlier this week, I shared in SI Betting’s NFL Upset Picks why I’m backing the Bears to win outright on Monday night: 

I’m all in on the Ben Johnson effect in Chicago, as Caleb Williams put together a solid preseason in an offense that has no excuses to fail in the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, there are a ton of questions in Minnesota, as J.J. McCarthy will be taking his first-ever regular-season snaps in Week 1. The Vikings still have one of the better defenses in the NFL after ranking fifth in points allowed and 11th in yards per play last season, but could they be due for some regression offensively?

Aaron Jones is another year older, and Jordan Addison is suspended for the first three games, giving McCarthy one less weapon to work with. Chicago was an atrocious road team last season (1-7), but it did win four of nine games at home.

Ultimately, I have more faith in Williams at home in an improved system after the year from hell in terms of his coaching staff. McCarthy is going to have to prove that he can play at the level Sam Darnold did last season before I start laying points with the Vikings on the road in a divisional matchup.

This should be a close game based on the spread, so I have the Bears winning by one possession on Monday night. 

Final Score Prediction: Bears 23, Vikings 20

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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