Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2025 · Week 1 · Division

Final

Vikings

Minnesota

QB J.J. McCarthy

27·24

Bears

Chicago

QB Caleb Williams

Soldier Field · outdoors · grass · 68°F · wind 6mph

Closing spread

MIN -1.5

Total

43.5

Model margin

+1.2est.

CHI perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Bears
  • Vikings

How each play moved the game.

Bears winsVikings wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Vikingsedge mapBears
  • -0.094EPA / play+0.076
  • 43.3%Success rate45.7%
  • -0.115EPA / dropback+0.122
  • -0.062EPA / rush+0.007
  • 8.4%Explosive rate10.1%
  • -2.84CPOE-3.48
  • 32.4%Third-down rate42.0%
  • 55.7%Red-zone TD rate66.8%
  • 1.75Points / drive2.32
  • 2.7%Turnover rate1.0%

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. CHI are 30-23-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W11CHI @ MIN1917CHI
2024 · W15CHI @ MIN1230MIN
2024 · W12MIN @ CHI3027MIN
2023 · W12CHI @ MIN1210CHI
2023 · W6MIN @ CHI1913MIN
2022 · W18MIN @ CHI2913MIN
2022 · W5CHI @ MIN2229MIN
2021 · W18CHI @ MIN1731MIN

Box score

Individual performances

Vikings

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
J.J. McCarthy13/2014321

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Jordan Mason15684.50
J.J. McCarthy22512.51
Aaron Jones8232.90
Justin Jefferson144.00

Bears

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Caleb Williams21/3521010

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Caleb Williams6589.71
D'Andre Swift17533.10
DJ Moore382.70

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 -1.54.2%2.8%7.2%7.5%3.0%4.6%2.9%

Positive margins favour Bears; negative favour Vikings.

Half-point at risk

2.14%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

52.2%

Expected total

44.5est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-0.53
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+1.18