Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season will wrap with an NFC North battle on Monday Night Football as the Chicago Bears hit the road to face the Minnesota Vikings. The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET and will air on both ESPN and ABC.
Minnesota enters the game as a 3-point favorite courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Bears vs. Vikings, Week 12: Pick against the spread
Chicago (3-8) enters the game on the back of a 31-26 loss to the Lions in Week 11 after Jared Goff led the Lions on an electric comeback in the fourth quarter. Justin Fields passed for 169 yards and a touchdown and added 104 yards rushing in his first game back from a thumb injury, but the Bears defense allowed 17 points in the fourth quarter in the loss. Their last win came in Week 10 in the form of a 16-13 win over the lowly Panthers.
While the Vikings (6-5) lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending injury earlier this season, they’re still hanging out of the postseason picture thanks to the strong play of quarterback Josh Dobbs, who will be making his fourth start (third appearance) after being acquired at the Trade Deadline. Dobbs threw for 221 yards with a touchdown and an interception last week in Minnesota’s loss to the Broncos — a loss that snapped their five-game winning streak.
The Pick: Bears +3
While the Vikings are the better team, I like the Bears to keep this game close. They were holding their own against the Vikings in their matchup earlier this season before Justin Fields got hurt and were also minutes away from beating the Lions last week before their defense imploded. Ten of the Vikings 11 games this season have been one-possession games, while the Bears’ last three games have been decided by one possession. Justin Fields is a more talented quarterback than Josh Dobbs, which should help keep this game close.