The holiday season begins with a Monday Night Football doubleheader on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Minnesota Vikings will provide a wintertime welcome and invite the Chicago Bears indoors in Minnesota. Game two kicks off 30 minutes later with the warm weather Las Vegas Raiders hosting another climate-conscious contender in the Atlanta Falcons. Take a break from Christmas shopping and take a look at the Week 15 NFL MNF matchup and some of the best bets you can take on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Minnesota Vikings -7 (-110)
The Vikings (11-2) have won six in a row. The Bears (4-9) are streaking in the opposite direction — seven straight losses. In October, the Bears were 4-1 and the Vikings 5-0. It’s almost 2025. They are who we thought they were. Caleb Williams is a rookie on a bad team. Sam Darnold knows that situation all too well. He’s on a good team now. It makes all of the difference. Darnold’s 108.1 QB Rating is the third-best in the NFL. Darnold still holds the ball too long (2.7 seconds Pocket Time) and takes a lot of sacks. He didn’t figure it out. He gets bailed out. His line does their best and the Vikings skill positions do their thing.
The Bears will need a marked improvement on defense to slow down the Vikings at home. Chicago’s defense has been middle-of-the-road. The biggest problem for their Monday Night Football matchup is their lack of a pass rush. The Bears pressure quarterbacks at a top-10 rate but they often come home empty-handed (31 sacks).
These teams matched up in Chicago just before Thanksgiving. The Vikings snuck away with a three-point win in overtime. That makes the Bears and the points sound appealing. It’s not that appealing. The spread was three. Context matters, too. The Bears scored 17 points in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The Vikings controlled the game. The Bears made plays on special teams and scored on a prevent defense late in the game. The Vikings must play a full four quarters to cover this number. That works both ways. The Bears are just as likely to tap out early. They’ve covered twice in the last seven games.
Atlanta Falcons -5.5 (-112)
The spread is softer in the second session on Monday Night. It might not be soft enough. The Raiders are on a nine-game skid and have only covered in three of those nine losses. They were seven-, nine- and 13.5-point dogs in those games. The public remembers that they almost beat the Chiefs two weeks ago, but the public forgets the Raiders turned back into pumpkins in Week 14 (13-28 loss to the Buccaneers). Furthermore, every team almost beats the Chiefs. It’s not an accomplishment.
The Raiders stink. The Falcons are just a little smelly. It’s nothing a little deodorant can’t fix. The Falcons aren’t covering and they’re not winning but at least they have won. Their schedule hasn’t been very forgiving of late. Of course, the Falcons haven’t done themselves any favors, but the Falcons have talent and potential. They have a purpose. A playoff spot is on the line. The Falcons have a 26% chance of making the playoffs. That number improves to 36% with a win. Two of their next three games are layups. The Raiders should be a layup. It all comes down to one thing. Everyone is betting on the same thing: Which Kirk Cousins shows up in prime time? Is it the hero or horror show? Given the matchup, hero seems likely.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
