Sunday, January 1, 2017

TCF Bank Stadium

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The Chicago Bears take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, January 1, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium. The opening line for this game has Minnesota as 6.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 40. The Bears are 7-8-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 7-8-0. The Vikings have an over/under record of 6-9-0 and they are 8-7-0 against the spread.

Matt Barkley finished with 323 yards through the air for Chicago last week. He completed 24 passes out of 40 attempts for a 60% completion percentage. The Bears were led in rushing by Jordan Howard, who finished with 119 yards on 18 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 7 yards per carry. Cameron Meredith was the team leader in receiving with a total of 135 yards and 9 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 15 yards per reception. As a team in that game Chicago got a total of 31 first downs. Of those first downs, 10 came on the ground while 18 came through the air. They ran 67 total plays for 458 yards for the game. The Bears ran for 140 yards on 26 attempts.

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Sam Bradford finished with 382 yards passing for Minnesota last week. He went 34 for 50, resulting in a 68% completion percentage. The Vikings were led on the ground by Jerick McKinnon, who finished with 50 yards on 11 carries. He ended the game with an average of 5 yards per rush. Adam Thielen led the team in receiving with 202 yards and 12 catches. He finished the game with an average of 17 yards per reception. Minnesota had 22 first downs total. 4 came from running the ball and 18 came from a pass. They ran 74 total plays for 446 yards for the contest. The Vikings ran for 93 yards on 20 carries as a team.

Chicago scores 18 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 28th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 22 passes on 36 attempts for a 61% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 255 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 13th in the league. The Bears run for an average of 103 yards per game on 23 attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. That ranks them 20th in the league. They also run 61 plays per contest and average 5.9 yards per play for an average of 359 yards per game, ranking their offense 13th overall this season. The Bears average 20 first downs per game which ranks them 19th in the NFL. They accumulate 61.2 penalty yards per game via 6.9 penalties, which ranks 26th in the league.

Chicago allows 223 passing yards per game, ranking 6th, and they allow 24 points per contest on defense, which ranks 20th. They give up 21 completions on 33 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 64%. The Bears allow 122 rushing yards per game on 28 carries for an average of 4.4 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 27th in the NFL. Chicago allows 345 total yards per game including 5.4 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 13th in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.7 penalties for 62.9 yards per game, ranking them 24th among NFL teams.

Minnesota averages 19 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 26th in the league. In the passing department, they complete 26 passes per game on 37 attempts for a 70% completion percentage. They throw for 239 yards through the air per game, ranking them 18th. The Vikings run for an average of 72 yards per game on 23 attempts for an average of 3.1 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 32nd on the ground. They also run 63 plays per game and average 4.9 yards per play for a total of 311 yards per game, ranking them 29th in the league on offense. The Vikings get an average of 19 first downs per game, which ranks 27th. They average 57.8 penalty yards per game via 6.7 penalties, ranking them 24th in the NFL.

Minnesota allows an average of 212 passing yards per game, which ranks 4th in the league. Their defense overall allows 20 points per contest, which has them ranked 8th. They give up 21 completions on 35 attempts for a completion percentage of 60% per game. The Vikings allow 102 rushing yards per contest on 24 carries for a 4.3 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 15th in the NFL. Minnesota allows 314 total yards per game for an average of 5 yards per play, which ranks 2nd in the league. They force 6.2 penalties for 51.7 yards in each contest, ranking 5th.

Chicago Betting Trends

Chicago is 7-8-0 against the over/under this season

Chicago has an ATS record of 7-8-0 this season

Minnesota Betting Trends

Minnesota is 6-9-0 against the over/under this season

Minnesota has an ATS record of 8-7-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago

12/25/16 DB Deon Bush Ankle injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Minnesota
12/25/16 DB Tracy Porter Shoulder injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Minnesota
12/25/16 LB Leonard Floyd Concussion injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Minnesota
12/25/16 LB Pernell McPhee Shoulder injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Minnesota
12/25/16 RB Ka'Deem Carey Shoulder "?" Sunday vs. Minnesota
12/23/16 DL Eddie Goldman Ankle IR
12/20/16 WR Eddie Royal Toe IR
12/17/16 WR Marquess Wilson Foot IR
12/14/16 OL Mike Adams Back IR
12/01/16 QB Jay Cutler Shoulder IR
11/29/16 LB Danny Trevathan Leg IR
11/23/16 TE Zach Miller Foot IR
11/15/16 DL Will Sutton Ankle IR
11/15/16 OL Kyle Long Leg IR
10/23/16 QB Brian Hoyer Arm out indefinitely
10/05/16 WR Kevin White Ankle IR
09/21/16 LB Lamarr Houston Knee IR
09/02/16 DB Brandon Boykin Pectoral IR
09/02/16 OL Hroniss Grasu Knee IR
09/01/16 QB Connor Shaw Ankle IR
08/31/16 LB Roy Robertson-Harris Illness PUP

Minnesota

12/25/16 RB Adrian Peterson Knee doubtful Sunday vs. Chicago
12/25/16 G Brandon Fusco Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Chicago
12/25/16 WR Laquon Treadwell Ankle "?" Sunday vs. Chicago
12/25/16 FB Zach Line Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Chicago
12/23/16 CB Mackensie Alexander Abdominal IR
12/20/16 DT Tom Johnson Hamstring IR
12/14/16 DT Sharrif Floyd Knee IR
11/16/16 T Jake Long Achilles IR
10/11/16 OT Andre Smith Elbow IR
09/21/16 T Matt Kalil Hip IR
08/31/16 T Mike Harris Undisclosed PUP
08/30/16 QB Teddy Bridgewater Knee IR
08/11/16 QB Taylor Heinicke Foot out indefinitely

Guy's Pick: Take Minnesota -6.5

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