Monday Night Football Week 15 Matchup

THE MATCHUP

Minnesota Vikings (11-3) vs Chicago Bears (5-9)

Soldier Field, Chicago Illinois

Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:30 pm ET

TV
ESPN 8:30 pm EST

WEATHER FORECAST
Mostly clear. Lows 11 to 20. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

LAST WEEK
The Vikings were beaten badly in Carolina, 26-7.
The Bears were embarrasses by the Ravens, 31-7

THE LINE
Vikings are the favorite (-7.5). Over/Under is 41

2009 TRENDS AGAINST THE SPREAD (REGULAR SEASON)
The Vikings are 8-5 ATS
The Vikings are 4-3 ATS away
The Vikings are 1-1 ATS as the underdog
The Vikings are 1-1 ATS as an away underdog
The Bears are 4-10 ATS
The Bears are 3-4 ATS at home
The Bears are 1-8 ATS as the underdog
The Bears are 1-2 ATS as a home underdog


Head-to-Head
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons



PREDICTION
Vikings 24 Bears 21

Even though the Bears are out of playoff contention, the rivalry between the two teams should make it one of the more exciting games in the NFL this week.  They are 7-1 against the Vikings at home since 2001 and there are rumors that coach Lovey Smith's job is on the line. And QB Jay Cutler is way overdue for a great game. Despite a great effort, the Bears will fall short.

It seems that Brad Childress had an offensive plan starting on day 1 and Bret Favre conformed to his plan. Now it appears Favre has gone away from Brad's plan in favor of his own style of offense. But the Bret Favre "style" offense hasn't been as effective. Favre has thrown for 3 TDs and 4 interceptions in the last three games. Could this be the real reason there is friction between Childress and Favre?

Two other important notes:
Viking All Pro running back Adrian Peterson hasn't had a 100-yard game in the last three games.
Ever since Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson broke his leg against the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings defense has become vulnerable.

INJURY REPORT

Vikings	Pos	Injury	Status
Pat Williams	DT	Elbow	Questionable
Brian Robison	DE	Quadricep	Probable
Antoine Winfield	CB	Foot	Probable
Steve Hutchinson	G	Shoulder	Probable
Bears	Pos	Injury	Status
Charles Tillman	CB	Non-Injury	DNP Last Game
Lance Briggs	LB	Back	DNP Last Game
Desmond Clark	TE	Illness	DNP Last Game
Adewale Ogunleye	DE	Lower Leg	Out

sources: nfl.com, espn.com, nydailynews.com, thespread.com

NFL Week 5 Monday Night Football: Jets-Dolphins Preview

THE MATCHUP
New York Jets (3-1) vs Miami Dolphins (1-3)
Monday, October 12, 2009 @ 8:30 PM ET

Land Shark Stadium, Miami, Florida

THE LINE
Jets are the favorite, giving 1.5 points (-1 1/2). The Under/Over is 36

THE RECORD
The New York Jets are 3-1 Overall, 2-0 at Home and 1-1 Away.

They are 1-0 in the Division and 3-0 in their Conference.
The Jets have scored 74 points while giving up only 57.

The Miami Dolphins are 1-3 Overall, 1-1 at Home and 0-2 on the Road.

They are 1-0 in their Division and 1-2 in their Conference.
The Dolphins have scored 81 points while giving up 79.

AGAINST THE SPREAD (ATS)
The Jets are 3-1 ATS, 1-1 ATS Away
The Dolphins are 1-3 ATS, 1-1 ATS at Home, 1-3 ATS as the underdog and 1-1 ATS as a Home underdog

GAME PREVIEW
Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez teams up with the Jets new offensive tool, controversial wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

The Dolphins have a powerful running game, averaging 183 yards on the ground per game, but the Jets defense have given up an average of 100 yards per game.

The Jets will be up against a tough Dolphin defense that is giving up, on average, only 61 rushing yards per game. The Jets will need to pass effectively (averaging 166 yards in the air while the Dolphins defense are allowing 238 yards) to open up their running game.

The outcome of this game may very well be determined between the Jets defense and the Dolphins' prolific rushing attack?

GAME PREDICTION

Jets 24 Dolphins 17

Although the Dolphins lead the AFC in Rushing, the Jets defense has proven it can hold its own against the best offenses in the NFL. Expect Mark Sanchez to come back from his subpar play and put enough points on the board to win.