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Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (+3, 40)
The Chicago Bears have made a quarterback change while the Minnesota Vikings hope to follow suit on Monday when the NFC North rivals meet at Soldier Field. Second overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky will make his NFL debut after offseason acquisition Mike Glennon committed four turnovers in Chicago's 35-14 loss to Green Bay on Sept. 28, while Sam Bradford aims to return after sustaining a knee injury in Minnesota's season opener.
"I feel like I'm ready," the 23-year-old Trubisky said. "I'm excited. I'm just going to take it day by day and prepare as hard as I possibly can for every single look and situation we can get on Monday." Trubisky faces a tall order against an aggressive Vikings' defense, which sacked Matthew Stafford six times in a 14-7 loss to Detroit on Sunday and ranks No. 1 in the league in third-down defense (25.6 percent conversion rate). The Vikings were dealt a brutal blow with the season-ending ACL injury to promising rookie Dalvin Cook in that contest, while Case Keenum completed just 16 of 30 passes for 219 yards. Bradford was limited in his return to practice on Thursday, but coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that "If he's ready to play, he'll play."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Minnesota (-1.5) - Chicago (5.5) + home field (-3) = Minnesota -1
LINE HISTORY: The Vikings opened as 2-point road chalk and that number has been bet up to 3. The total hit the betting boards at 40.5 and has been bet down to 40. View the complete line history here.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: “Biggest question up on the air is the status on Vikings’ QB Sam Bradford, who is just 1-2 SU and ATS in his career adjacent the Bears. Meanwhile, backup QB Case Keenum is just 4-8 SU and 3-9 ATS against division foes, including 0-6 ATS as a favorite. The other question is whether Chicago can improve on its 5-12 ATS mark at home of late in Monday night games.” - Covers Expert Marc Lawrence
INJURY REPORT:
Vikings - RB Jerick McKinnon (Probable, Ankle), S Andrew Sendejo (Questionable, Shoulder), DT Shamar Stephen (Questionable, Back), LB Eric Kendricks (Questionable, Illness), G Danny Isidora (Questionable, Knee), QB Sam Bradford (Questionable, Knee), T Rashod Hill (Questionable, Knee), DT Sharrif Floyd (Questionable Week 10, Knee), RB Dalvin Cook (I-R, Knee).
Bears - DE Akiem Hicks (Questionable, Foot), QB Mark Sanchez (Questionable, Neck), C Hroniss Grasu (Questionable, Hand), LB Willie Young (Out For Season, Tricep), LB Danny Trevathan (Eligible Week 6, Possible Suspension), LB Jerrell Freeman (Questionable Week 10, Concussion).
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U): Signed to a three-year, $15 million deal, Latavius Murray finds himself thrust into the lead-back role after seeing Cook exit following his non-contact injury. Murray, who rushed seven times for 21 yards after the rookie departed, admitted this week that his ankle is not 100 percent following offseason surgery. While Minnesota lost one impact player, it will see the return of another as Michael Floyd has served his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. "I'm just going to be aggressive," the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Floyd said. "I'm an aggressive player. I'm going to go out there and make plays. That's just what I do. That's in me, and that's never going to stop."
ABOUT THE BEARS (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U): Chicago continues to rely heavily on its backfield, with Jordan Howard rolling up four rushing touchdowns while speedy Tarik Cohen ranks fourth among rookies with 331 yards from scrimmage and leads all NFL running backs with 24 receptions. Howard gashed Minnesota's defense in both encounters last season, rolling up 202 yards from scrimmage in a 20-10 win on Oct. 31 and adding 135 yards rushing in the finale. Cohen has 10 more receptions than Kendall Wright, who leads a banged-up wideout corps with 154 yards receiving. Tight end Zach Miller has been limited to just three catches on five targets in the last two games after reeling in 10 receptions in the first two.
TRENDS:
* Vikings are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Under is 9-2 in Vikings last 11 games in October.
* Under is 7-1 in Bears last 8 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago.
COVERS CONSENSUS: The Covers public is siding with the road chalk Vikings at a rate of 60 percent and the Under is picking up 51 percent of the totals action. View full consensus data here.
