'MNF' picks: We like Minny to the max

What a darn fun weekend of football we just had! Rivalry Weekend did not disappoint, nor did Week 12 in the NFL. Don't take these weekends for granted; we're already nearing the end of November. We'll look to wrap this week in style with a few bets for Chicago vs. Minnesota.

It's a Minnesota menu of plays for 'MNF'

Vikings -3

These are a big few weeks for Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears. It seems all but certain that the Bears are going to own the top pick in the draft courtesy of the Carolina Panthers, and the play of Fields is going to dictate much of what is to come for this franchise.

We're excited to watch it unfold, and seeing him use his legs last week feels like something we should expect to see again. While that may make for some electrifying moments, the best bet here is to back the Vikings to win at home and cover the spread.

Minnesota sits at 6-5 and is the sixth overall seed in the NFC. There are a few teams nipping at their heels, and that should bring about a better performance than we saw last Sunday. The Vikings own the fourth-best record against the spread this year at 7-3-1, we like them to win comfortably here.

Jordan Addison over 45.5 receiving yards (-115 DraftKings)

The way you attack Chicago is through the air (more on that with our next play). With our expectation of passing comes some prop value, and Vikings rookie WR Jordan Addison feels like the best option to load up.

It sounds unlikely that Justin Jefferson will play tonight, meaning Addison is once again WR1. Addison is averaging 74 receiving yards/game over his last five and has gone over this total in eight of 11 games this season. This is a soft line worth jumping on.

Alexander Mattison under 45.5 rushing yards (-120 BetMGM)

It may surprise you, but the Bears have one of the best run defenses in football. They have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game to RBs and the lowest yards per carry in the league. It's best then to fade Vikings RB Alexander Mattison, who has gone over this total just three times this season and once in his past four against Chicago. 

In the news ...

NFL Week 12 sees massive Eagles win, while the AFC's best all grab big wins — What a Sunday in the NFL. In the early window, we watched as Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars held off another C.J. Stroud comeback drive, taking down their AFC South rival to build a two-game cushion with six games left and bringing their odds to win the division to -1000. Texans kicker Matt Ammendola missed a field goal at the end of regulation that would have forced OT. We were treated to one of the more exciting games this season as the Philadelphia Eagles mounted yet another second-half comeback to take down the Buffalo Bills 37-34 in overtime. The win moved the Eagles to 10-1, and Jalen Hurts' five total touchdowns have set him as the MVP favorite at +125. 

Elsewhere, the Chiefs and Ravens both won to keep pace with the Jaguars atop the AFC. If the season ended today, the seven AFC playoffs would be Baltimore, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Miami, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Indianapolis. In the NFC, the standings are currently Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Minnesota and Seattle.

Michigan beats Ohio State, Washington & Florida State remain unbeaten — Rivalry Weekend in college football lived up to the hype. Michigan took down Ohio State for the third straight year to all but stamp their ticket to the CFP, while Washington and Florida State both hung on for big wins to head to their conference championships unscathed. Then there was the Iron Bowl, as Alabama scored a touchdown on 4th and goal from the 31 to win at the end and maintain a chance at a CFP berth. Next week's conference championship games include No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 4 Washington, No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama and No. 10 Louisville for No. 5 Florida State. This is going to be fun.

Frank Reich fired by Panthers — For the second straight season, Frank Reich has been fired mid-season, this time by the Carolina Panthers. It was a short run for the coach with his rookie QB Bryce Young, but at 1-10 and Young not looking sharp, Carolina has made a change. 

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll, the guy who won $8K on a $20 NFL parlay. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.