Vikings To Hand Bears’ Trubisky Losing Start

Mitchell Trubisky will make his first NFL start when the Chicago Bears face off against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

The Bears selected the quarterback second-overall in the 2017 Draft after handing veteran signal-caller Mike Glennon a lucrative deal in free agency.

Head coach John Fox opted to start Glennon for the opening four matches of the season. However, the veteran’s poor performances have resulted in a 1-3 start to the Bears.

Glennon’s play against the Green Bay Packers allowed Chicago’s bitter rivals to ease to a comfortable win. As a result, Fox has made the decision to go with the rookie for the clash against the Vikings at Soldier Field.

Minnesota have been up and down to start the term, but could have starting quarterback Sam Bradford back for the contest. The 29-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury and has missed the last three games.

His presence has been missed by the Vikings, who are sitting at 2-2 in their campaign. The club cannot afford another setback in the NFC North, having been defeated by the Detroit Lions last week.

Bradford was outstanding against the New Orleans Saints in week one. And although Case Keenum did impress against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Vikings need their main man fit and firing.

We’ll now break down both sides ahead of the contest and look at the best value betting odds.

Chicago Bears

The Bears had to make the change to Trubisky. Glennon was simply awful in his side’s defeat to the Packers, throwing two costly interceptions to hand the game to Mike McCarthy’s men. He also fumbled the ball twice, displaying a lack of awareness in the pocket.

Chicago invested heavily in his signature during free agency and were forced to give Glennon an opportunity. However, he has failed to take it, allowing the rookie to come into the fold. Trubisky did show promise during pre-season, making a number of quality throws.

Whether he has learned enough during the opening four weeks of the campaign to deliver against a strong defense is another matter. The 21-year-old will face greater pressure from a ferocious pass-rush led by Everson Griffen. He will have to be able to rise to the occasion to handle the rush, while delivering the ball downfield into tight windows.

Chicago are not blessed with talented receivers, but do have a good running game. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen could open the holes that will allow their quarterback to thrive.

Play-action will be key to help Trubisky settle, and gaining chunk yards on the ground will give the quarterback a safety net to deliver on his first start.

The defense has to play their part as well to ensure that the Bears are not chasing the game. They need to control the contest with their running game, limiting the time the Vikings have on the field.

Trubisky does not need to be outstanding in his first start, but he needs to show signs of his talent. Chicago have been starved of quality at the quarterback position for a long time. Even a solid outing will give the franchise hope for the future.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings will be hopeful that Bradford is fit to take his place back behind center for the contest. He has been absent for the last three matches, resulting in differing success for Mike Zimmer’s men.

Keenum had an outstanding game against the Buccaneers throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns in his side’s commanding win. However, in his other two starts against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Lions, Keenum struggled for rhythm which resulted in defeats.

Due to their loss to Detroit, Minnesota already have an inferior division record and cannot afford another defeat in the NFC North at this stage of the campaign. Bradford was extremely impressive in the opener and should he return and play to that level his side could be on track for the victory.

Wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen have been operating at the peak of their powers. Both players have already passed the 350-yard mark this term, putting them in the top five in the NFL.

Minnesota were dealt a hammer blow when impressive rookie Dalvin Cook suffered a torn ACL. He will miss the rest of the campaign, putting the pressure on Latavius Murray to fill the void.

The back had a decent spell with the Oakland Raiders and was expected to be the leading man for the Vikings this term before he was surpassed by Cook. He now has the opportunity to prove a point.

Griffen has been brilliant on the defensive side of the ball, notching five sacks already this term. Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes highlight the talent on the unit. However, they will need to improve if Keenum remains as the quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Betting Options

Both teams are in need of the victory, with the Vikings in perhaps in a more of pressing situation than their rivals. Minnesota are a team that is chasing the playoffs, having missed out on the berth in the last campaign.

There’s more than enough talent on their roster to make a charge, but Zimmer’s men have to win games against teams such as the Bears – even without Bradford.

Chicago are a work in progress, but Fox has to avoid another disastrous campaign to keep himself on the sideline. Glennon’s performances have put them under pressure and they desperately need a spark from Trubisky to take them to a respectable win total this term.

It’s asking a lot for the rookie to defeat a veteran defense in his first start. Therefore back the Vikings for the victory at odds of 1.69Bet €100 to win €16969/100Bet £100 to win £169-145Bet $100 to win $1690.69Bet HK$100 to win HK$169-1.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp1690.6900Bet RM100 to win RM169  with Bovada sportsbook. Take Zimmer’s men to cover the -6.5 spread at odds of 2.63Bet €100 to win €263163/100Bet £100 to win £263+163Bet $100 to win $2631.63Bet HK$100 to win HK$2631.63Bet Rp100 to win Rp263-0.6135Bet RM100 to win RM263  with PaddyPower as they may get a few turnovers against Trubisky.

The Bears will struggle to put points on the board immediately with the rookie in place. Bet on Chicago to score under 14 points at 3.70Bet €100 to win €37027/10Bet £100 to win £370+270Bet $100 to win $3702.70Bet HK$100 to win HK$3702.70Bet Rp100 to win Rp370-0.3704Bet RM100 to win RM370  with Ladbrokes.

Diggs has had an outstanding season thus far and taking him to score a touchdown anytime at odds of 2.75Bet €100 to win €2757/4Bet £100 to win £275+175Bet $100 to win $2751.75Bet HK$100 to win HK$2751.75Bet Rp100 to win Rp275-0.5714Bet RM100 to win RM275  with Bet365 would be a smart punt.

Tips Summary

Minnesota Vikings To Beat Chicago Bears
Monday 9^th October 2017 20:30 ET (Tuesday 10^th October 01:30 BST)
Odds: 1.69Bet €100 to win €16969/100Bet £100 to win £169-145Bet $100 to win $1690.69Bet HK$100 to win HK$169-1.45Bet Rp100 to win Rp1690.6900Bet RM100 to win RM169

Minnesota Vikings To Cover -6.5 Spread
Monday 9^th October 2017 20:30 ET (Tuesday 10^th October 01:30 BST)
Odds: 2.63Bet €100 to win €263163/100Bet £100 to win £263+163Bet $100 to win $2631.63Bet HK$100 to win HK$2631.63Bet Rp100 to win Rp263-0.6135Bet RM100 to win RM263

Chicago Bears To Score Under 14 Points
Monday 9^th October 2017 20:30 ET (Tuesday 10^th October 01:30 BST)
Odds: 3.70Bet €100 to win €37027/10Bet £100 to win £370+270Bet $100 to win $3702.70Bet HK$100 to win HK$3702.70Bet Rp100 to win Rp370-0.3704Bet RM100 to win RM370

Stefon Diggs To Score Touchdown Anytime
Monday 9^th October 2017 20:30 ET (Tuesday 10^th October 01:30 BST)
Odds: 2.75Bet €100 to win €2757/4Bet £100 to win £275+175Bet $100 to win $2751.75Bet HK$100 to win HK$2751.75Bet Rp100 to win Rp275-0.5714Bet RM100 to win RM275