Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2000 · Week 1 · Division

Final

Bears

Chicago

QB Cade McNown

27·30

Vikings

Minnesota

QB Daunte Culpepper

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome · dome · astroturf

Closing spread

MIN -4.5

Total

46.5

Model margin

+4.4est.

MIN perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Vikings
  • Bears

How each play moved the game.

Vikings winsBears wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Bearsedge mapVikings
  • -0.144EPA / play+0.102
  • 38.4%Success rate44.7%
  • -0.138EPA / dropback+0.184
  • -0.156EPA / rush-0.026
  • 6.1%Explosive rate10.6%
  • 29.8%Third-down rate46.0%
  • 35.6%Red-zone TD rate67.4%
  • 0.80Points / drive2.14
  • 2.7%Turnover rate2.6%
  • -0.018EPA / play allowed+0.083

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

MIN lead 28–26 since 1999

Meetings average 41.8 points. MIN are 23-30-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W11CHI @ MIN1917CHI
2025 · W1MIN @ CHI2724MIN
2024 · W15CHI @ MIN1230MIN
2024 · W12MIN @ CHI3027MIN
2023 · W12CHI @ MIN1210CHI
2023 · W6MIN @ CHI1913MIN
2022 · W18MIN @ CHI2913MIN
2022 · W5CHI @ MIN2229MIN

Box score

Individual performances

Bears

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Cade McNown27/4129020

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Cade McNown10878.71
James Allen9606.70
Curtis Enis4112.80
Bobby Engram111.00
Marty Booker1-6-6.00

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Daunte Culpepper13/2319001

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Robert Smith141097.80
Daunte Culpepper13735.63
Jimmy Kleinsasser252.50
Moe Williams1-1-1.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Randy Moss46890
Jimmy Kleinsasser23320
John Davis22310
Cris Carter25260
Andrew Jordan1390
Robert Smith2230

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +4.53.6%6.6%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%2.9%

Positive margins favour Vikings; negative favour Bears.

Half-point at risk

1.97%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

60.8%

Expected total

46.1est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+1.82
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+4.38