The Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings are 2-3 and 1-4, respectively, finding themselves in the bottom half of the NFC North behind the undefeated Green Bay Packers and upstart Detroit Lions. Unsurprisingly, the odds are tight for this game, with the Bears set as roughly three-point favorites at home.
The Vikings are coming off the better Week 5 performance, however, downing the Arizona Cardinals 34-10 behind three first-quarter touchdowns from Adrian Peterson. With the Cardinals forced to throw, Minnesota dug its heels in and picked off two Kevin Kolb passes. Most importantly, the win affirmed head coach Leslie Frazier's decision to keep Donovan McNabb at quarterback, at least for one more week. McNabb was just 10-for-21 passing, but with Peterson clicking he only had to hold onto the ball to be effective.
The Bears, meanwhile, are reeling from a 24-13 loss to the Lions. Quarterback Jay Cutler remains the most at-risk quarterback in the league after being sacked six times on Saturday. Matt Forte still managed to carve out yardage despite the passing game's struggles, and continues to be a bright spot in a gloomy start for the Bears.
Safe to say, this game is must-win for both teams if either hopes to regain traction this season. You can expect the best from both teams this weekend, though be sure to note that Soldier Field has not been kind to Minnesota. The Vikings are just 1-6-1 against the spread in their last eight trips to Chicago.
Odds Shark has more Week 6 NFL odds and lines. For more coverage on this week's game, visit our Vikings blog Daily Norseman and our Bears blog Windy City Gridiron.