:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71840086/1453657765.0.jpg "NFL playoff picture: What does Vikings-Bears mean for NFC playoff standings")
The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL season. Kickoff from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 8, with the game airing on Fox. While the Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention, the result of this matchup could still affect the NFC playoff standings. The Vikings enter this game as a six-point road favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Vikings playoff picture
Minnesota heads into this game as the current No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture. If they lose, they still retain the No. 3 seed. If they win, they have a chance to move up to the No. 2 seed. The Vikings would need to win, and the San Francisco 49ers would need to lose to the Arizona Cardinals.
Tiebreaker implications
If both the Vikings and the 49ers win their respective games, they would finish tied with the same 13-4 record. San Francisco gets the tiebreaker based on win percentage of conference games, as the teams did not face off this season. The Vikings are unable to move up to the No. 1 seed due to tiebreakers. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys earlier this season, so in the event it came down to a tiebreaker between those teams, the Vikings wouldn't have the advantage.