Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season concludes Monday night with a matchup in the NFC North that fans will hope is the 1st of many meetings to come with quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams. It’s also the coaching debut for Ben Johnson, the highly touted offensive mind from Detroit who has been tasked with giving the Bears a legitimate passing game.
Johnson has said all the right things this offseason, and he even produced results in August with a 38-0 rout of the Bills and a 17-point comeback in the 4th quarter against the Chiefs.
But these games actually count, and the Vikings are still a 1.5-point road favorite. However, no one can say how J.J. McCarthy will fare as a starter after meniscus surgery ended his rookie season almost immediately.
It should be an interesting game, so let’s look at our favorite picks for Vikings vs. Bears, including some player props.
Monday Night Football Odds
The Bears opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but this game has seen notable line movement, with many sportsbooks going to the Vikings as a 1.5-point favorite now. They certainly have the pedigree with 14 wins last year, but that’s the past with a different quarterback (Sam Darnold) who had a career year.
The total is at 44 points. Both coaches are offensive wizards, but Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores is tough to read, and you have the wild card in McCarthy. Minnesota wide receiver Jordan Addison is also serving a suspension, so he’ll be out for this one, bringing Adam Thielen back to the Vikings.
Monday Night Football Picks
Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores Again
Even though the Bears have no real tape of Ben Johnson’s Chicago offense outside of the preseason, this is a familiar matchup in a way. Johnson’s Lions matched up with Brian Flores’ Minnesota defense the last couple of seasons, and Johnson generally got the best of those games.
However, Caleb Williams isn’t as experienced as Jared Goff yet, and the revamped offensive line with Joe Thuney must hold up as Flores throws a mixture of blitzes and 8-man coverage at the young quarterback.
But the Bears have plenty of weapons in D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Cole Kmet, and the debut of 1st-round rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
The Bears have a veteran defense that was solid last year. They could create some issues for J.J. McCarthy, who could have some 1st-game jitters in his NFL starting debut. We’re going to trust our gut and give this one to Johnson at home, getting off to a great start and a minor upset win over the Vikings.
Expert Pick: Bears +1.5 (-110) at BetMGM
Monday Night Football Prop Bets
Is Caleb Williams the Next Jared Goff?
In a way, it’s fitting that Ben Johnson is coaching Caleb Williams after coaching Jared Goff in Detroit. Both are No. 1 picks who struggled in Year 1, but Goff was given great receivers in Year 2 with the Rams (2017), and he got his own offensive wunderkind in Sean McVay. The Rams immediately led the league in scoring and won 11 games.
That’s not to say the Bears are doing that in 2025, but Williams showed some good traits as a rookie behind a poor offensive line and a terrible coaching situation that couldn’t teach him how to watch film. Both situations have improved, and he has weapons.
Last year, Williams threw for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns after almost shocking the Vikings in overtime. Give him the Ben Johnson push in this one, and we absolutely want to take his over in passing yards and maybe even passing touchdowns (+135 for over 1.5 at BetMGM) as well.
Expert Pick: Caleb Williams Over 216.5 Passing Yards (-115) at BetMGM
Bet on Monday Night Football Week 1
After you’ve hopefully won some bets this weekend, check out this game on Monday night and make a few fun wagers on a new chapter to this NFC North rivalry.
Monday Night Football is also great for live betting, as you can fully immerse yourself in this game and take advantage of momentum swings that create valuable betting opportunities.
Remember to keep an active account at one or more of our recommended sportsbooks to take advantage of these picks before the lines change!Â
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