Bears try to avoid winless road record; Vikings aim for .500

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By The Associated Press - Associated Press - Thursday, December 29, 2016

CHICAGO (3-12) at MINNESOTA (7-8)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

OPENING LINE - Vikings by 6½

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Chicago 7-8, Minnesota 8-7

SERIES RECORD - Vikings lead 57-52-2

LAST MEETING - Bears beat Vikings 20-10, Oct. 31, 2016

LAST WEEK - Bears lost to Redskins 41-21; Vikings lost to Packers 38-25

AP PRO32 RANKING - Bears No. 29, Vikings No. 22

BEARS OFFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (19), PASS (13).

BEARS DEFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (27), PASS (6).

VIKINGS OFFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (32), PASS (18).

VIKINGS DEFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (15), PASS (4).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Vikings have won four straight vs. Bears at home. … This is fourth time in 12 years Vikings have hosted Bears in season finale with no playoff implications for either team. … This will be worst finish by Bears since 2002, when they went 4-12. Last time they had fewer than four wins in non-strike year was 1973, when they went 3-11. … Bears trying to avoid first winless road record since 1974 team went 0-7. … Bears RB Jordan Howard had season-best 153 yards rushing in last meeting. He’s seventh in NFL with 1,178 yards and is 60 yards short of Matt Forte’s franchise record for rookie set in 2008. … Bears QB Matt Barkley will make sixth straight start. He has three 300-yard games but eight interceptions in last two games. … Loss by Vikings would give them losing record for fifth time in last seven years. … Vikings QB Sam Bradford leads league with 71.3 completion percentage, which would be all-time NFL record. Drew Brees is current record holder with 71.2 percent in 2011 for Saints. … WR Adam Thielen has 960 yards receiving, seeking to become first Vikings player with 1,000 yards receiving since Sidney Rice in 2009. Stefon Diggs also has 903 yards. … Vikings DE Danielle Hunter has 12 sacks, most among all DEs in league. … Fantasy Tip: Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson leads NFL with average of 31.5 yards per kickoff return and would set record with third time leading league in four-year career.

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