NFL expert picks: Bears enter Week 1 vs. Vikings as early underdog

The Chicago Bears aren't a popular choice among the experts as Week 1's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings nears.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

There's no better way to kick off the 2025 NFL season than on Monday Night Football against a division rival. And that's exactly what the Chicago Bears will get in Week 1 when they welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Soldier Field.

The primetime matchup offers the new-look Bears an incredible opportunity to put the NFL on notice that this isn't the same old Matt Eberflus Bears. Instead, it's a team led by the most sought-after head coaching candidate in the last several years: Ben Johnson.

These Johnson-led Bears can prove that structure and attention to detail matter, especially for a team that won only five games in 2024. If, somehow, Chicago pulls off the upset and defeats Minnesota, who won 14 games last season, it'll send shockwaves through the NFC North.

Unfortunately, the experts picking Monday night's NFC North showdown don't see that happening. Instead, 59% are predicting that the Vikings will come away with the win.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise to Chicago Bears fans. Let's face it: the Bears have to prove they warrant the kind of confidence that's needed to pick them in an upset win. The Vikings are currently favored by 1.5 points; the home team usually gets three points by default. The fact Minnesota is favored suggests the oddsmakers don't view the Bears as having much of a chance.

Indeed, most of Week 1's expectations are based off of what teams did last season. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why the Chicago Bears won't be favored early in 2025. But a strong showing -- even an upset win -- in the opener would go a long way in flipping that narrative for the Bears. They'd suddenly become a popular, headline-grabbing team (for one week, at least.)

More Chicago Bears News:

• Bears' Ben Johnson issues a warning for the Detroit Lions

• Grading Caleb Williams' preseason: Did he do enough to instill confidence?

• Bears fans haven't seen anything yet in Ben Johnson's offense

• Dolphins player calls out Bears for 'fake' toughness