As the season wore on, however, head coach Chris Finch and his team began to find their stride. Since Julius Randle returned from injury, they’ve been playing championship level basketball.

Despite entering the playoffs as the 6-seed, Minnesota easily dispatched the 3-seed Los Angeles Lakers in five games. They they did the same to an Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors. And just like that, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in the Western Conference Finals for the second-straight season.

Thunder open as significant favorites against Minnesota Timberwolves

While the Wolves were run off the court by the Dallas Mavericks in their first appearance, this is a much different team than last year’s squad. After dominating their first two series, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said they should be the favorites to win it all.

Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets in game seven of their West semifinals series on Sunday, meaning we get Ant vs Shai to go to the NBA Finals. And the early odds, do not give the Minnesota Timberwolves much of a shot at beating the No. 1 seed Thunder. In fact, OKC is -375 favorites.

A -375 line suggests an outcome predictability at 78.95%. That means the Timberwolves enter the Western Conference Finals with a predicted winning percentage of just over 20%. If that number is shocking to you, you’re probably not alone.

Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been the NBA’s best team all season long. Yes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and the rest of Mark Daigneault’s rotation is incredibly talented. They’re also a young group who’s never been there before, coming in after a hard-fought seveg games vs Denver.

Related: Rudy Gobert Dumps Pregnant Girlfriend, Kicks Her Out of House

Minnesota has been resting since wrapping up their series with the Warriors on Wednesday at Target Center. By the time the West Finals start on Tuesday, the Wolves will have had five days of rest.

The Timberwolves probably need to steal a game or two early in the series if they hope to turn the betting markets. They have won their first road game in each of their last two series. They will try to continue that trend Tuesday.

These aren’t the same Timberwolves

Minnesota and Oklahoma City split the season series. Only once did Julius Randle play, and it happened during their first matchup. He was just 32 games into his Timberwolves career at that point, and the team had yet to find a rotation that worked.

The last time these two teams played each other on February 24, the Timberwolves were just 32-27, and a much different team than they are now.

For the first time in NBA history, there will be 7 different champions in 7 years.

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) May 18, 2025

This NBA playoffs has provided plenty of intrigue and even more exciting games. It’s going to give us a new champion for the seventh-straight season. This is one of the best opportunities Minnesota has had to end the title drought that has plagued the power-four sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) for decades.

Fans would love to see the Vikings win it all given the popularity of the NFL. A Twins World Series parade to go along with those from 1987 and 1991 would be unreal. A first Stanley Cup for the State of Hockey needs to happen.

There may be no better way to send Glen Taylor packing, usher Kevin Garnett back in, and cement Anthony Edwards as the face of the league then advancing to and winning the NBA Finals.

Fast forward back to the present. Sam Darnold is gone and the team is now squarely in McCarthy’s hands. Most importantly, Kevin O’Connell — who’s coming off his first Coach of the Year award — is still running the show and calling plays.

Still, that doesn’t really excite a lot of the sportsbooks. Even after underestimating the Minnesota Vikings just one season ago, just to be embarrassed, Vegas is yet again selling the purple’s chances in 2025.

Minnesota Vikings favored in just seven games

Last year, the Minnesota Vikings opened at a shockingly low over/under of just 6.5 regular season wins. As previously mentioned, the won more than double that. Now entering 2025 offseason workouts, we’re seeing more of the same. As of Tuesday, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Vikings as the favored team in just seven of their regular season games, and winners of just 8.5 games total.

Of the 17 games, the @Vikings opened as favorites in ONLY 7 games, per @DKSportsbook.

At Bears: +1.5
Falcons: -4.5
Bengals: -1.5
At Steelers: -1.5
At Browns: -7
Eagles: +3
At Chargers: +3
At Lions: +4.5
Ravens: +3.5
Bears: -2.5
At Packers: +3.5
At Seahawks: +1.5
Commanders: +1.5… pic.twitter.com/h1Vf4meLK0

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 15, 2025

There is an understandable amount of uncertainty when it comes to a new quarterback. That said, the Vikings went gangbusters in free agency and loaded up in the trenches on both sides of the ball. They also added a starting guard in Donovan Jackson with their first round pick.

The two-win jump is a modest one for a team that won substantially more than that a year ago. Of course there aren’t many more wins for an NFL to capture beyond 14, but there’s a possibility Minnesota is better despite winning a few less games.

Yes, they need another cornerback. Still though, they have enough talent to be a better collection than last year even if they don’t win as many games. There are still other question marks on this roster too. But after what we saw last season, I’m not sure how you can doubt the Minnesota Vikings entering 2025.

They did it on the back of Julius Randle’s 31 points and 5 rebounds, assisted by a superstar 3rd quarter appearance by Anthony Edwards, where his 16 points nearly outscored the 17 points Golden State scored as a team.

Of course, this series has been defined by the absence of Steph Curry, after he was pulled in the 2nd quarter of game one with a grade one hamstring strain. Now, after three-straight Timberwolves wins, the Warriors find themselves going back to Minneapolis, on the brink of elimination.

Timberwolves vs Warriors (Gm 5) Betting Odds are shocking

The biggest questions entering game five are simple. Will Steph Curry return? If not, do the Golden State Warriors stand any chance of stealing one game from Minnesota without their one superstar? Well, an early look at the betting odds may prematurely answer both those questions.

Not only are the Minnesota Timberwolves favored by sportsbooks to win game five and close out the Warriors on Wednesday… but they are MASSIVE -11.5 point favorites.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Steph Curry clearly is not playing in game five. If there were even a chance that he were going to suit up and take the court that the Timberwolves would be double-digit favorites to win.

And without Steph, Vegas sees what those with any basketball sense whatsoever sees while watching these games. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a far superior team to the Golden State Warriors, even without Curry. Now, you take him out altogether, and the Wolves are toying with them.

The Golden State Warriors cannot hang with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Think about it. Anthony Edwards and most of the Minnesota roster has slept through every first half of this series, just to come out in the second half of these last three games and knock the Warriors out cold with one haymaker run. Jimmy Butler is 35 years old and afraid of Rudy Gobert.

Related: What We Learned About the Timberwolves in Overpowering Game 4 Win Over Warriors

Draymond Green is mostly a non-factor and Jonathan Kuminga couldn’t even find the floor in their first round series against the Rockets. And oddsmakers think it’ll happen before Steph even gets a chance to play hero, on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

If true, it’ll mean the second-straight Western Conference Finals run in as many seasons… something we would have thought was impossible before it we came to the brink of it becoming reality.

We’ll get to some of those momentarily. But first, let’s take a look at the current betting odds for the NBA Playoffs, after the Oklahoma City Thunder were shocked Monday night, in game one vs the Denver Nuggets, who now lead the series 1-0.

Sportsbooks like Minnesota Timberwolves in the West…?

Even after taking the upset haymaker in game one, OKC remains the betting favorite, not just in the West, but to win the entire thing, after Boston was also upset in game one of their round two series vs Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks.

Entering tonight’s tip at Target Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves currently hold the second-best odds (~3/1) to win the Western Conference and fourth-best odds (11/1) to win it all, according to major sportsbooks — DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM.

Aside from the Oklahoma City Thunder, only the East’s Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have better championship odds than Minnesota. All three teams lost their first game of their second round series on Monday.

The Timberwolves are -6.5 favorites to beat the Golden State Warriors in game one and -180 favorites to win the series. They started out their playoff journey underdogs against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Vegas made a fortune on uneducated Lakers/Yankees/Cowboys fans.

Obviously, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and the gang in Oakland have been there and seen it all. But this is another older team with plenty of superstar power, but no depth. Not to mention, neither Steph Curry nor Jimmy Butler are anywhere near 100% physically.

Now, let’s talk about these storylines…

Storylines galore for MN Timberwolves vs Warriors

Draymond Green will have to face the Rudy Gobert music, after years of bad mouthing the 7-foot Frenchman publicly whenever given the opportunity. He’ll have to prove everything he said during last year’s playoff run where he and the TNT crew mocked and ridiculed Gobert night in and night out. Oh, and there was the time he Draymond nearly choked Rudy out during a scrum a couple years ago.

"I'm a truth teller and right now the truth is, Rudy Gobert don't stand a chance against Joker."

Draymond Green absolutely laid into Rudy Gobert at halftime 😳

Facts or sour grapes? 🤔pic.twitter.com/E66wly4OqD

— Covers (@Covers) May 15, 2024

Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock and was ejected 😳 pic.twitter.com/ub7ZT34WiL

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) November 15, 2023

Then… there’s Jimmy Butler, who has to face the Minnesota Timberwolves fan base for a seven-game series. Tuesday marks the first time the now 35-year-old has played in front of the Target Center crowd… since 2021.

Minnesota traded Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers in November of 2018. Initially, Butler had no problems coming back to Target Center. The Sixers beat the Wolves in his first game back, in January 2019.

Jimmy Butler afraid to play the Minnesota Timberwolves?

But after being traded from Philly to Miami, Butler lost his next two games back in Minneapolis (Apr. 2021, Nov. 2021). That’s when he must have decided he no longer likes playing at Target Center anymore. Because every time his team has been back since November 2021, Jimmy has found a way out out of the lineup.

Whether the excuse has been rest, illness or injury, Butler has refused to play basketball in MN against the Wolves for 3.5 years. That’s four full seasons of avoiding the Target Center fans. But really, he doesn’t like to play the Minnesota Timberwolves at all anymore.

Since November 2021, Jimmy Butler has only played the Wolves one time. It came in Miami back in December, 2023. That too ended in a Timberwolves win. Hmm, I am starting to understand why Jimmy doesn’t like playing against his former team. But starting tonight, there’s nowhere for Butler to hide.

Anthony Edwards onto his next superstar funeral…?

Anthony Edwards has already sent plenty of superstars packing in the NBA playoffs. His list includes Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James. He would be adding Steph Curry to that group with another series win, and Minnesota would make consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals.

The Thunder are the clear favorite at every sportsbook, and they are projected to be on a collision course with the Boston Celtics. However, the Towns-led New York Knicks knocked off Boston in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night. The Nuggets did the same in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Anthony Edwards taking out legends one-by-one:

❌ Kevin Durant
❌ LeBron James

Stephen Curry next? pic.twitter.com/rxTePjrIEe

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) May 1, 2025

The Timberwolves can’t afford to get too far ahead of themselves. However, if they can advance another round and make things interesting against the Thunder, a ring doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.

Can the Timberwolves really do it?

Any assumptions that the MN Timberwolves will float easily by Golden State is a dangerous one. Even as slight favorites, they are in a similar spot as Los Angeles was prior to coming up short in round one. And we don’t have to mention how good we felt this time last year, entering the West Finals vs Dallas.

Related: MN Timberwolves President Pushes Back Against Rumors

If they can get it done, however, Vegas seems convinced that their next round opponent will be the Thunder. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the rest of Mark Daigneault’s roster is scary. They have seven players that averaged double-digits this season, and SGA is always a threat to be handed 30 free throws in a game.

The Wolves did split the season series vs OKC, but that would all go out the window if they meet in the Western Conference Finals. Again, that’s getting ahead of ourselves. All we know now is that this Minnesota Timberwolves team is coming together at the right time. It’s still a long shot, but why bet against them now?

It’s a redo matchup of Week 8, and follows a sort of deja vu timeline of events from earlier in the season. Their two losses prior to last night’s debacle happened in back-to-back games, within a four-day span between October 20 and October 24.

Because of their loss last night to the Lions, the Vikings will take the second best regular season record in franchise history out to LA, for a Wildcard matchup vs the Los Angeles Rams. Thankfully, they have 8 days to prepare vs just four days, last time. This time around, however, a loss would end their season.

Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams Playoff Odds

Maybe it makes you feel better, maybe not. But the oddsmakers do not believe in deja vu this week. Vegas has pinned the Minnesota Vikings as -2.5 point road favorites vs the LA Rams at two of the three major sportsbooks.

In week 18, the Los Angeles Rams rested their starters vs the Seattle Seahawks. Jimmy Garoppolo got a heavy workload, in place of Matthew Stafford. He went 27-of-41 passing for 334 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The Ram lost 30-25 and finished their season 10-7.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Devastating Blowout Loss vs Detroit Lions

In the Minnesota Vikings’ first matchup vs the Rams, Puka Nacua surprisingly returned from injury and Brian Flores’ group wasn’t ready. He caught 7 passes (9 targets) for 106 yards. Matthew Stafford threw for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns and Kyren Williams added 97 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Vikings need Darnold, O’Connell to be better vs Rams this time around

If the Minnesota Vikings want to continue one of the best campaigns in its illustrious history, they will need a much better version of their offensive leaders, Sam Darnold and Kevin O’Connell, than what those two displayed in week 18 vs the Lions. The pressure will be on again, and this time it’s win or go on offseason vacation.

It’s fair to assume that O’Connell will be named 2024 Coach of the Year, but his performance against the Detroit Lions was poor, just like the play of his QB, who went 18-of-41 for 166 yards, 0 touchdowns and a 55.5 QB rating. The refs didn’t help the Vikings’ cause… but what else is new?

How was this not a facemask call on Sam Darnold?! Just lost them the game pic.twitter.com/3yP7b1qC1a

— cade (@CadeBuffalow) October 25, 2024

Related: Jordan Addison’s Dad Sounds Off on Kevin O’Connell, Others After Vikings Loss

If the Minnesota Vikings can go on the road to LA and earn a victory they couldn’t two months ago, then a third date vs the Detroit Lions would likely be on the docket. You know what they say, 3rd time’s a charm…

Late last night, news broke that Vikings vs Lions was being flexed to Sunday Night Football, which is no surprise, given what’s on the line. Not only will next week’s matchup decide the winner of the NFC North, it’ll also decide who gets the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which includes a bye in the Wildcard round. The loser, of course, will drop to the No. 5 seed, which would mean a road game in the Wildcard round.

Week 18 NFL Betting Odds: Minnesota Vikings early underdogs vs Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have yet to play their week 17 game, which will happen on Monday night vs the San Francisco 49ers. But that doesn’t mean week 18 oddsmakers aren’t open for business on Vikings vs Lions. After Minnesota defeated Green Bay, major sportsbooks opened them as either +2.5 point (FD, DK) to +3 point (ESPN Bet) underdogs.

Since early November the Minnesota Vikings have mostly operated as weekly favorites. They’ll have a different reality in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings are 8-4-1 against the spread, through their first 16 games this season.

There are some discussions within the sports betting community as to how much homefield advantage should really be worth. Traditionally, it is worth three points, which would mean this is a pick ’em game on a neutral field. Many experts have moved it to a 1.5 point advantage.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in a Mostly Dominant Victory vs Packers

In the first Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions game of the 2024 season, Darnold went 22-of-27 for 259 yards while splitting touchdowns and interceptions to one apiece. He used his legs for 39 yards and will continue to keep the Lions defense on their toes.

Darnold launches deep to Addison for 51 yards!

📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/LKMgUI6vYE

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

This is not a very healthy Detroit Lions team, right now. David Montgomery is out with injury, leaving Jahmyr Gibbs as the lone productive running back. Their defense is also dealing with a significant amount of injuries. The Vikings lost Aaron Jones in the 2nd half vs the Packers. His status is TBD.

Minnesota Vikings poised to knock off the Green Bay Packers again

The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Lambeau Field in late September, for their first matchup of the season vs Green Bay, and left with a 31-29 victory over a 10-4 Packers team that has beaten everyone on its schedule except for the 13-2 Vikings, 13-2 Lions (x2) and 12-3 Eagles. Green Bay plays tonight vs the New Orleans Saints, on Monday Night Football. Depending on how that game turns out, these lines could change rather dramatically.

Home field advantage is traditionally worth three points, in the sports gambling world. U.S. Bank Stadium presents a sizable challenge for opposing teams, but the Packers are no pushover, as the early 1.5 to 2.0 point spread suggests.

Both teams are relatively healthy, for now. There are always injuries that pop up on Wednesday’s injury report, and the Packers haven’t even played yet, for week 16. But, Green Bay will play Sunday’s game, on a short week. That could present a slight advantage for the Vikings.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Latest Nerve-Racking Win vs Seahawks

In their first matchup, Sam Darnold threw for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Aaron Jones came up just seven yards shy of the century mark, against his former team, going for 93 yards on 22 carries. Justin Jefferson led the receiving corps with 6 receptions for 85 yards and a TD.

No one will be spared during the Sam Darnold revenge tourpic.twitter.com/j790PjEasS

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 29, 2024

On the other side, Packers QB Jordan Love racked up 389 yards and 4 touchdowns, but the 26-year-old quarterback out of Utah State also threw three interceptions. The Minnesota Vikings held Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs to just 51 yards, on nine carries. We’ll see if they abandoned the run game in week 17, like they did in week four.

Related: Franchise Tagging Sam Darnold is the Minnesota Vikings’ Only Option

If the Vikings can win their final two games of the season, vs the Packers, then the conference-leading Lions, they will secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC for the first time since 1998. It’s one week at a time for Minnesota though, and getting up to play the Green Bay Packers is never an issue.

Now, after dominating the Chicago Bears at home, on Monday Night Football in week 15, the Vikings will pack up for week 16 and take flight to Seattle, where they will do battle vs the 8-6 Seahawks, who are tied for first place in the NFC West, and their “The 12th Man” home field advantage.

Week 16 NFL Odds: Minnesota Vikings open as -3.5 favorites @ Seattle Seahawks

But at least for now, oddsmakers do not care that the Seattle Seahawks are at home, or that they are battling for a playoff spot. On Tuesday morning, Vegas put their money on the road Minnesota Vikings, pinning them as -3.5 favorites for week 16.

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been dealing with a calf injury. He’s missed the past two games. Their other running back, Zach Charbonnet, has been good in Walker’s absence. But the Seahawks are hopeful they will get their RB1 back vs the Vikings.

The weather should be warmer in Seattle Sunday, than what the Minnesota Vikings have dealt with recently, on the road. But (of course) there is rain in the forecast. We know Kevin O’Connell isn’t the biggest fan of running the football, but he may have to rely on Aaron Jones & Co more often, if that forecast holds true.

Related: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Catches TD, Shouts Out Randy Moss on MNF

Could these early odds have anything to do with uncertainty surrounding who will be under center on Sunday? Their starting quarterback Geno Smith was injured against the Green Bay Packers, in week 15, but it sounds as if he’ll play. Nonetheless, it’s a situation to watch.

Geno Smith –

Not seeing a whole lot here other than a “jam” situation as his cleat sticks in the turf. Not much at the ankles.
Wonder if it’s his knee after forced max flexion with his cleat sticking.

He remains on the sideline with staff for now. pic.twitter.com/dyQYLsYWnp

— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 16, 2024

Other factors to keep in mind…

After starting the 2024 season on a five-game winning streak, the Vikings suffered through a four-day stumble, back in October, that resulted in two (quick) back-to-back losses.

First, they lost to the Lions in week 7 (Oct. 20), on a last-second field goal. Then, Sam Darnold & Co boarded a plane and flew to LA, where they fell to the Rams in week 8, just four days later, on Thursday Night Football. It’s worth noting they are again flying to the west coast, on a short week.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Convincing MNF Win Over Bears

The Vikings have already beaten Seattle’s NFC West rivals, Arizona and San Francisco, but did fall to the Rams, as mentioned earlier. With just three games remaining this season, the Seahawks need to win on Sunday, if they want to control their own playoff destiny, come week 17.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings need a win to keep up their pressure on the Detroit Lions, now that both teams have the same record. These two NFC North rivals meet in week 18. It’s very possible that both the division title and a No. 1 playoff seed could on the line, which would make for one of the most important regular season finales in division history.

It helps playing in the AL Central where just about everyone is doing way more selling this offseason, than buying, and that should make for a competitive division yet again, in 2025. Well… except for the White Sox.

AL Central oddsmakers like the 2025 Minnesota Twins

After a September to forget, the Minnesota Twins finished fourth in the AL Central last season. That, after they were a cinch playoff team for 120+ games. Unfortunately, 2nd half injuries in 2024 ultimately sank the squad. But as long as Falvey doesn’t trade away Carlos Correa, both DraftKings and FanDuel agree the 2025 Twins will be a prime player in the American League Central.

The AL Central sent three teams to the postseason last year. Detroit took a wild card series against Houston. Cleveland won a series, before ultimately falling to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

The Guardians may appear ahead of the Minnesota Twins, in the above odds table. But there is really no betting difference between the two teams, It’s the difference in betting $100 to win $200 (Twins) or $195 (Guardians). Those two teams are neck-and-neck favorites to win the division. The Detroit Tigers are a close underdog, the Kansas City Royals’ odds are a bit longer.

Related: Minnesota Twins Select Pitcher in 2024 Rule 5 Draft

Minnesota has yet to bolster the roster, outside of one Rule 5 Draft selection, Eiberson Castellano, who will join the big league pitching staff, where he must remain all season, or be offered back to the Philadelphia Phillies, which is where the Twins plucked him from. More moves are expected, but they’ll be more of the “sell” variety.

At least the Twins aren’t the White Sox

Nothing was more frustrating than the way in which the Minnesota Twins collapsed this fall. But it’s important to look around sometimes. Because things could always be worse. At least we don’t cheer for the Chicago White Sox, who lost a major league record 121 games last season. Oddsmakers, who have the Southsiders as +25000 to +50000, depending on the book, don’t expect much to change for the White Sox in 2025.

“Oh my goodness. The White Sox have just gone full White Sox.”@kevinnbrown sums up the Chicago White Sox, who are on their way to a 31-109 record. pic.twitter.com/Or7vspU7js

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 3, 2024

Obviously Chicago is expected to be the worst team in the division, and probably the worst team in baseball. The odds though suggest there’s no reason for them to even show up at the ballpark. But hey, if you are a White Sox believer… now is the time to strike. A $100 bet would win you $40,000, if proven correct.

Someone has to be the punching bag, and Chicago is ready and willing. Minnesota went 12-1 against the Chicago White Sox last season. The Guardians, who won the AL Central, were just 8-5 record. It’s truly sad how bad the Southsiders fell off, but I’m guessing Rocco Baldelli doesn’t mind a few in-division bye games on the schedule.

Related: Twins, Royce Lewis Preparing for Another Position Change

The White Sox popped up as one of the surprises during a shortened 2020 season, then parlayed that into 93 wins in 2021. But in 2022, the downfall began… a downfall that has unfolded in a weird 20 loss pattern. In 2022, Chicago won 81 games (.500), then down to 61 in 2023, and 41 in 2024. Maybe, they can drop to 21 wins, in 2025?

This time the Bears are heading into this matchup with a new head coach after parting ways with Matt Eberflus. Meanwhile, the Vikings are riding high fresh off a dominant 42-21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings open as heavy favorites vs Chicago Bears

After already securing a win over the Bears in Chicago in Week 12 and riding a six-game win streak, the Minnesota Vikings are set to take on Chicago again in Week 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium, where they’re heavy favorites.

On the other hand, the Bears, who have lost seven straight, will face off against the Vikings under the spotlight of Monday Night Football on the road.

The Minnesota Vikings are coming into Monday Night Football as heavy favorites, with a 7-point spread on FanDuel and DraftKings, and 6.5 on ESPN Bet, and honestly, it’s hard to argue with those odds.

Why are the Vikings heavy favorites?

The main thing is, the Minnesota Vikings haven’t lost a game since October 24, when they faced the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears haven’t won a game since October 13, which is just downright ridiculous.

On top of that, the Minnesota Vikings have one of the league’s better offenses, ranking 8th in points scored (339) and 10th in total yards (4,568). Meanwhile, the Bears trail significantly, sitting 23rd in points scored (254) and dead last in total yards with only 3,751.

Related: Updated Sam Darnold MVP Odds – Can the Minnesota Vikings QB Catch Josh Allen, Others?

The Minnesota Vikings have also already proved they’re the better team when they went into Soldier Field in Week 12 and came away with a win. Even though it went to overtime, the game wasn’t as close as the score might indicate. As the two teams meet again this week, Vegas expects another win with ease for the Vikings.