The first Monday Night Football game of the year features an NFC North rivalry. Here are the storylines, picks, and best bets for the NFL Week 1 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
Vikings vs. Bears: Game Information
Getting ready for the real thing 😤 pic.twitter.com/WGAGHY8dD5
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 4, 2025
- 🏈 Game: Vikings vs. Bears
- 🕗 Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- 🏟 Location: Soldier Field — Chicago, Illinois
- 📺 TV Channel: ESPN, ABC
- 💻 Live Stream: WatchESPN
Top Storyline: J.J. McCarthy Makes First Career Start
"I think he had a really good training camp where there were some real competitive moments where he responded really well." – Head Coach Kevin O'Connell on @jjmccarthy09 making his first start Monday night
📺: https://t.co/K8eMI7yKBX pic.twitter.com/TIkJjh2TSf
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 3, 2025
Last season, the Minnesota Vikings went 14-3 and made the Wild Card Round of the postseason.
After losing to the Los Angeles Rams to end their season, the Vikings decided to let Sam Darnold, who had his best year as a pro in Minnesota, sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
With Darnold out, J.J. McCarthy is the new starting quarterback. The Vikings selected McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After a promising preseason opener, McCarthy found out he had a torn right meniscus and underwent season-ending surgery.
Monday night is McCarthy’s first start since he led Michigan to victory over Washington in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Vikings vs. Bears: Picks and Best Bets
Bears +1.5 (-115)
“Tumultuous” is the word to describe Caleb Williams’ rookie year in Chicago. Expectations for Williams were sky high. Unfortunately for Bears fans, the No. 1 pick in the draft did not live up to the hype.
Some of it was out of his control. Williams had three offensive coordinators during his rookie season, and head coach Matt Eberflus was fired after an embarrassing Thanksgiving Day loss.
No rookie quarterback could have overcome that situation. However, Williams did not hold up his end of the bargain. He took the most sacks in the NFL (68) and recorded a below-average completion percentage (62.5).
Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now the Bears’ head coach, a massive upgrade over Eberflus. His main job is to fix Williams, and that might happen over time.
Think about all of Williams’ struggles, and now apply them to McCarthy, who is making his first career start on the road in a division game at night. That’s a tough ask.
Slight advantage to the Bears.
J.J. McCarthy Under 220.5 Passing Yards (-114)
Kevin O’Connell is an excellent head coach. He’s won games with Darnold, Kirk Cousins, Josh Dobbs, and Nick Mullens.
O’Connell is smart enough to know that with McCarthy making his first career start, he won’t ask him to do too much.
I expect a very run-heavy game plan from the Vikings on Monday, mixed in with easy play-action throws. Get McCarthy’s feet wet, and hope your defense keeps this a low-scoring game.
With Justin Jefferson also not 100% healthy, I’ll side with the under for passing yards.
