In a clash of NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for the first "Monday Night Football" game of the 2025 season.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN, and both teams enter the season with significant changes.
J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in 2024, takes over at quarterback for the Vikings, replacing Sam Darnold, after sitting out his first NFL season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Bears, meanwhile, begin a new era under coach Ben Johnson, bringing high hopes on the offensive side with an wealth of young talent in 2024 first-rounders Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, and rookie tight end Colston Loveland and rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Note: Odds at time of publication. For the latest updates, visit ESPN BET.
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Game picks | Prop bets | Betting trends
Game bets
Bears +1.5 (-115)
Pamela Maldonado: Williams finally has a real offense with which to work. Johnson's system brings heavy play-action, and protection upgrades with Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson will give Williams time to operate and attack downfield. With DJ Moore, Odunze, Burden and Loveland, Chicago now has a complete group of pass-catching options capable of stressing Minnesota's secondary.
Defensively, the Bears' revamped front should help neutralize the backfield duo of Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason, and force McCarthy into tough throws. At home, facing a quarterback making his NFL regular-season debut, Chicago has the roster, scheme and edge to start 1-0. It just needs to execute.
ESPN Analytics projection: Bears by 0.6 (51.5% chance to win)
Notable player props, bets
Best bet: J.J. McCarthy to throw an interception (-115)
Maldonado: McCarthy's first NFL start comes on the road against a Bears defense that quietly ranked top 10 in opponent interception percentage last season at home. Chicago's upgraded front seven should force just enough pressure to make McCarthy uncomfortable. One mistake feels inevitable. Kevin O'Connell will scheme easy throws early, but at some point McCarthy has to test the Bears' secondary -- and that's where trouble starts. Call it a "Welcome to the NFL" moment. Betting on McCarthy to throw an interception isn't just logical, it also feels like the right script for a Week 1 road matchup.
Mike Clay's projection: McCarthy one interception
Cole Kmet over 9.5 receiving yards (-125)
Bowen: I would expect the Bears to use more two-tight-end personnel Monday night to secure the edges against the Vikings' blitz-heavy scheme. That opens the door for Kmet to work underneath as an outlet for Williams when he reads pressure. Take the throws that are available here.
Clay's projection: Kmet 10 receiving yards
Rome Odunze over 51.5 receiving yards (-110)
Moody: Odunze is set up to shine against a Vikings defense that allowed the fourth-most receiving yards last season and particularly struggled against perimeter receivers. Entering his second season after an uneven rookie year, Odunze benefits from an improved offensive line and Johnson now calling plays, putting him in an ideal spot for success against Minnesota.
Clay's projection: Odunze 57 receiving yards
Defense
Andrew Van Ginkel under 0.5 sacks (Even)
Walder: Van Ginkel ran hot last season, recording 11.5 sacks despite an average 15% pass rush win rate and having never recorded more than 6.0 sacks in a season previously. Yes, the Brian Flores defense is a big part of the reason why, and Flores is still there, but I still believe variance was probably on Van Ginkel's side.
Van Ginkel will be chasing Williams, who had a 10% sack rate last season. I suspect that that issue will persist, though it can improve. In addition to Chicago's own offensive line upgrades on the interior, a shift to Johnson's scheme should help Williams. Last year, the Detroit Lions ran play-action -- which helps reduce sacks -- 36% of the time, most of any team in the league, while the Bears had the third-lowest play-action rate at just 19%. The Bears probably will also simply pass less frequently, which should bring down Williams' total sacks.
Altogether, my model sees the under's true price being -145, and we're getting even money here. I'm also looking at Van Ginkel under 4.5 tackles + assists (+115).
Betting trends
Courtesy ESPN Research
Minnesota is 12-5 ATS in road games since 2023.
The Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their past five games against the Bears.
Chicago is 3-13-1 ATS when the line is between -3 and +3 since 2022.
The Bears went 1-10 in their last 11 games in 2024 after beginning the season 4-2.