The Minnesota Vikings are heading into Week 2 with momentum from a season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers, but the oddsmakers are not treating them like a team riding high. At Soldier Field, they’re lined up as a sizable underdog against the Chicago Bears, a club that exploded in Week 1 and now gets to stay at home.
FanDuel Sportsbook opened Minnesota as a 5.5-point underdog for the matchup in Chicago, with the total set at 48.5 points.
The biggest question for the Vikings might be under center. Kyler Murray lasted just eleven snaps in the opener before leaving with a concussion after a late hit from Packers defensive lineman Javon Bullard. It’s the first documented concussion of Murray’s career, and his status is something to watch closely as the week unfolds.
Carson Wentz handled the rest of the work against Green Bay and did enough to steady the offense. He finished 12-of-19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns, while the Vikings’ defense helped turn the game late.
Minnesota trailed 22-10 late in the third quarter before the defense forced a pair of fourth-quarter turnovers and helped fuel a 39-22 comeback win at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Chicago, meanwhile, arrives after one of the loudest offensive outbursts of the opening weekend. The Bears were leaky on defense in Charlotte, giving up 37 points to the Panthers and allowing Bryce Young to throw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. None of that blunted the damage on the other side, though, because Chicago ripped off 59 points of its own.
That total came with nearly 300 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 269 passing yards from Caleb Williams, and two more scores through the air. The 59 points were the fourth-most in Bears history.
For Minnesota, the opener offered both a win and a warning. The Vikings were outgained 419-239 by Green Bay, and their offense spent most of the afternoon stuck in neutral. That kind of stretch won’t get it done against a Bears team that just hung 59 points on the road.
In Other News...
Kevin OConnell May Be Making The Change Vikings Fans Needed
Kevin OConnell kept the focus squarely on wins after the Vikings comeback against the Packers, and that approach matters for a team that has spent enough time getting talked into the wrong priorities. Minnesotas head coach has long been known for his offensive background, but the message coming out of this one was less about style points and more about sticking with what can actually travel in a tight game. Even with the run game not always looking smooth early, the Vikings still handed it off 27 times, a sign OConnell was willing to stay patient rather than abandon the plan at the first sign of trouble.
For Vikings fans, that kind of steadiness is part of the appeal as the 2025 season takes shape around J.J. McCarthy. OConnell has already shown a willingness to adjust the offense for his quarterback, and the bigger question is whether he keeps leaning into the practical side of coaching instead of chasing appearances. If this is the version of OConnell Minnesota gets more often, the Vikings may be set up for a more grounded and sustainable stretch than the one fans have seen in the past. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Are Melting Down After Vikings Win For One Reason
The Vikings comeback against Green Bay had plenty of football reasons behind it, starting with a second-half rally after the Packers had pushed out to a 12-point lead. Minnesota kept hanging around, the Packers kept giving away ground with their own mistakes, and the game turned into the kind of late mess that can flip a divisional result in a hurry.
Even so, it was the fourth quarter sequence that had Packers fans grinding their teeth after the final whistle. Several penalties from Shawn Hochulis crew helped set up Minnesotas go-ahead drive, adding another layer of frustration to a loss already defined by Green Bays late offensive line collapse and the self-inflicted errors that let the Vikings back in. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Head Into Bears Showdown With One Huge Problem
The Vikings head to Chicago for a Week 2 NFC North test with plenty already hanging over the matchup. They got through their opener with Carson Wentz at quarterback after Kyler Murray went down, but Murrays availability this week is still unresolved, leaving Minnesota to sort out its plan on the fly while trying to stay on schedule early in the season.
Chicago enters the divisional game with a real buzz after Caleb Williams delivered a strong Week 1 showing and helped move the betting market in the Bears direction. Minnesota now faces the kind of road game that can reveal a lot quickly, especially with the Bears favored and the Vikings still waiting on clarity at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]