NFL Player Props for Vikings vs. Bears MNF (9/8)
What kind of performances can we expect on Monday Night Football from D’Andre Swift, Caleb Williams, and J.J. McCarthy? Follow along as our NFL betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite NFL prop bets for Vikings vs. Bears on September 8th. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more NFL plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
Well, it’s going to be difficult to top what we saw yesterday around the NFL – 9 one-score games, including one of the more entertaining games in television history on Sunday Night Football between the Ravens and Bills. That being said, football fans aren’t short on storylines for the 2025 debut of Monday Night Football.
J.J. McCarthy will be making his NFL regular season debut on the road against a new-look Chicago franchise that has a completely overhauled coaching staff, offensive line, and the 2024 No. 1 overall draft selection in Caleb Williams. Ahead of kickoff, Williams and the Bears are 1.5-point home underdogs, with the total set at 43.5 points. Bettors can find updated NFL odds for Monday’s action and the rest of the NFL regular season at ScoresAndOdds.
Below, you can find three of my favorite player props for Vikings vs. Bears!
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Best NFL Player Props for Monday Night Football: Vikings vs. Bears
Here are my top player prop bets, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 PM ET on Monday, September 8th:
- D’Andre Swift Over/Under 53.5 Rushing Yards
- Caleb Williams Over/Under 20.5 Completions
- J.J. McCarthy Over/Under 0.5 Interceptions
D’Andre Swift OVER 53.5 Rushing Yards (-112, FanDuel)
FANDUELChicago made heavy investments in their offensive line this past offseason, trying to upgrade a unit that finished 31st in adjusted line yards and 32nd in adjusted sack% in 2024. Their remade interior, featuring LG Joe Thuney, C Drew Dalman, and RG Jonah Jackson should help the Bears ground attack significantly this season, with all of those players being excellent run blockers.
Heading into Week 1, Chicago’s running back room is thin on available bodies. Roschon Johnson didn’t practice on Thursday or Friday and was only a limited participant on Saturday. Travis Homer is on injured reserve. The Chicago coaching staff has been very complimentary of Swift throughout the summer and preseason, which could lead to a bell-cow workload in Week 1.
Minnesota’s defense finished last season ranked 2nd overall in DVOA, but their personnel is arguably much worse, at least against the run, this season. Swift should have opportunities to make an impact.
Caleb Williams OVER 20.5 Completions (-102, FanDuel)
FANDUELThere is understandably a lot of excitement for Chicago’s offense heading into the new season, with new head coach Ben Johnson, a reported infallible offensive genius, coming to town to save last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick. The offensive line is ostensibly improved in pass protection, and Williams has even better weapons at his disposal than he had as a rookie.
That being said, there are reasons to think that Williams isn’t going to completely air it out right away. In 3 seasons under Johnson in Detroit, Jared Goff ranked 24th in aDOT, 30th in aDOT, and 36th in aDOT (among quarterbacks with 250+ dropbacks). It wouldn’t be shocking to see Williams tasked with executing a number of passes near the line of scrimmage tonight, especially against a blitz-happy Minnesota defense.
Expect Johnson to prioritize getting the ball out quickly in the passing game, which should inflate Williams’ completions.
J.J. McCarthy OVER 0.5 Interceptions (-115, bet365)
BET365Per Stathead, there have been 19 rookie quarterbacks to start in Week 1 on the road since 2000 , and 15 of them have thrown an interception. The only instance I could find of a rookie quarterback making his first career start on the road on Monday Night Football, since 2000, was Sam Darnold, who threw a pick-6 against the Lions.
McCarthy isn’t technically a rookie, but he missed all of last season with an injury, so tonight will be his regular season NFL debut. He has a tough task, going on the road to face an aggressive Chicago defense that prides itself on taking the ball away. This is good value for McCarthy to throw an interception.
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