Jan 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up wearing a shirt honoring Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin (3) before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
VikingsTerritory asked a handful of Vikings fans for a prediction of Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The fans have spoken.
The Vikings have suddenly won three straight games after a two-game skid following the bye week. Things are looking up, and Minnesota has overwhelming odds of reaching the postseason.
Minnesota will face a reeling Bears team this weekend, led by rookie passer Caleb Williams. Not much has gone right for the Bears in the last month.
Vikings fans predict the Vikings will win their ninth game of the season.
Fans almost unanimously chose the Vikings, evidently content with the state of play in Minnesota. The recent wins have restored folks’ faith.
Here’s how the fan panel sees the score for Week 12:
Bruce Johnson: Vikings Win, 17-13
Chris: Vikings Win, 31-10
Christina: Vikings Win, 24-14
Eric Horstman: Bears Win, 20-16
Ivan, Czar of Bohunks: Vikings Win, 44-24
Legend of Corra: Vikings Win, 27-13
PurpleVikodin: Vikings Win, 21-18
RedNPurple: Vikings Win, 20-3
SkolSister: Vikings Win, 24-17
Skol Tom: Vikings Win, 27-23
Steve Berglund: Vikings Win, 24-17
Tadd: Vikings Win, 31-10
Thee…Mr. Legend: Vikings Win, 34-13
Mathematically en masse, fans predict the Vikings will top the Bears by a score of 26-16.
And the season standings for fans’ predictions:
Christina: 8-2
Ivan, Czar of Bohunks: 8-2
Skol Tom: 8-2
RedNPurple: 7-3
Steve Berglund: 7-3
Chris: 7-3
Eric Horstman: 7-3
Keat_on: 7-3
PurpleVikodin: 7-3
SkolSister: 7-3
Legend of Corra: 6-4
Tadd: 6-4
Thee…Mr. Legend: 6-4
Bruce Johnson: 4-6
Sporting News’ Bill Bender picked the Vikings to defeat Chicago, 21-19, and explained: “Yes, the Bears lost in heart-breaking fashion, but Caleb Williams showed development with new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. The Vikings are tied for third in the NFL with 35 sacks this season, but Williams can offset that like he did against Green Bay. Can Chicago’s defense rattle Sam Darnold, who has a 99.9 passer rating on the road, though?”
The Vikings are favored to prevail by 3.5 points against the Bears. Minnesota has the league’s top-rated defense per DVOA through 11 weeks.
The Vikings have a 94.8% chance of reaching the postseason per DVOA. Chicago checks in around 0.2% per the same metric.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.