The NFL’s Week 12 comes to a close with a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. The Vikings are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Bears are out to prove they still have a pulse. Chicago has won two of five and saw Justin Fields eclipse 100 yards on the ground last week against the Lions. Joshua Dobbs and the Vikings were cooled off in Denver, ending a 5-0 SU/ATS run. Both teams are still dealing with injuries, as Justin Jefferson remains out for Minnesota and D’Onta Foreman was ruled out for Chicago. That opens some value for a first-scorer prop, so here are the best Bears-Vikings first touchdown picks and bets for Monday Night Football! If you’re hungry for more action, check out the rest of our NFL betting promos.
Bears-Vikings First Touchdown Picks | Monday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings Touchdown Scorer
Nobody will be more important to the Vikings’ success than Joshua Dobbs. He is both their starting quarterback and their best runner. Running back Alexander Mattison is the odds-on favorite for the first touchdown from Minnesota’s side, and Dobbs sits 150 points behind him at +750. While that gap may seem like a spot to attack for Dobbs, especially with him running the football successfully out of scrambles, there is simply a better option at running back.
While Mattison’s job is still safe, Ty Chandler has seen increased action — including 14 touches last week against the Broncos. As tight as the Bears’ defense has looked recently, they still struggle defending -catching running backs, something Chandler does better than Mattison. Running into a brick wall of Chicago defenders isn’t the best strategy, even on the goal line. Expect the Vikings to get creative in trying to beat the Bears rush by exploiting an area of weakness.
It’s not even a super long shot: the books are well aware of the angle for the Vikings. Take a shot with Chandler at 9-1 to score first.
Bears-Vikings First Touchdown Picks for Monday: Ty Chandler +900 at Caesars for 0.25 Units
Chicago Bears First Touchdown Scorer
Justin Fields is clearly healthy and can run all over Minnesota. Much like his Vikings counterpart, Fields should be able to extend drives with his legs. The difference is in the design, rather, in the designed runs. The Bears just saw Fields go over 100 yards on the Lions’ defense, a far better unit than the Vikings’ group. Fields also has an advantage throwing to DJ Moore, a better and more used target than anyone available for Minnesota.
Fields has averaged seven carries per game against Minnesota and should hit double-digits tonight. The Vikings won’t be able to contain him outside the pocket, which should remove any other scoring option on the ground. Down Foreman, the Bears will have to compensate elsewhere — mainly with their quarterback. As much as Fields is expected to have the ball in his hands, be it throwing or running, he still clocks in at decent odds to score first.
Be it a long run or short skip around the red zone, Fields will score first, and at +750, the value is too good to up.
Bears-Vikings First Touchdown Picks for Monday: Justin Fields +750 at Caesars Sportsbook for 0.25 Units
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