The Minnesota Vikings (14-3) and Los Angeles Rams (10-7) will meet in the final game of the NFL Wild Card Round on Monday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will broadcast live on ABC/ESPN and can be streamed on ESPN+.
The NFL was forced to move the venue of this game from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium because of the destructive wildfires all over Los Angeles County. The Vikings are 2.5-point favorites over the Rams on the spread, with the over/under set at 47.5 total points. Minnesota is a -140 favorite to win outright, while Los Angeles is +120 to pull off the upset.
Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson, and the rest of the Vikings offense looked flat in a Week 18 loss to the Lions that saw Minnesota fall short of its chance at the No. 1 seed and a bye. They'll now be forced to win on the road in a tough matchup against the Rams' high-flying offense led by Matt Stafford, Kyren Williams, and Puka Nacua.
Let's get to my Vikings vs. Rams predictions and NFL picks for Monday, January 13.
Vikings vs. Rams Prediction
Spread
I believe the Rams should be favored in this Wild Card matchup, so I like them to cover the spread at +2.5.
Over/Under
I'm staying away from the total in Monday's contest.
My Pick: Rams +2.5 (-110)
Vikings vs. Rams Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Vikings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | -140 |
| Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | +120 |
- Vikings vs. Rams spread: Vikings -2.5
- Vikings vs. Rams over/under: 47.5 total points
- Vikings vs. Rams moneyline: Vikings -140, Rams +120
- Vikings vs. Rams best bet: Rams +2.5 (-110)
MyVikings vs. Rams best bet is on the Rams to cover the spread. For all of your NFL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NFL odds page.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams NFL Wild Card Round Preview
The first matchup between these teams earlier this season — Week 8; Oct. 24 — was not a great one for the Vikings. They played the Lions on Sunday and then traveled across the country to play the Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Also, it was a big surprise that Puka Nacua played in that game after not practicing for more than a month. Even Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores said the team wasn’t prepared for Nacua and didn’t have time to change his game plan. Minnesota didn’t blitz as much as usual and struggled to contain Nacua and the Rams offense.
Part of trying to crack the code of every game is a lot about why coaching is so important, specifically coordinators who like to throw curveballs. Sometimes, coaches save their best stuff for the playoffs.
Flores will likely have his defense looking very different this time around, but Rams head coach Sean McVay likely will have his offense operating differently as well.
A big part of this pick is that I don’t believe in the Vikings secondary. In order for that unit to perform well, they have to get pressure up front.
In this matchup, Matthew Stafford isn’t particularly mobile, so I’m curious to see if Minnesota blitzes and plays a lot of man coverage or whether it plays zone and potentially get picked apart.
The Rams have shown they can get pressure on the opposing quarterback, led by likely Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse. I think that will be a big key against Sam Darnold, who struggled last week in Detroit when under pressure. It wouldn’t shock me if Darnold was a bit shaken after that performance entering a playoff atmosphere that he is not used to.
It’s also worth noting that Vikings kicker Will Reichard missed multiple kicks last week and has struggled down the stretch, while Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty has been trending upward as the season has progressed.
At the end of the day, I am taking the "home" underdog. I think the Rams, especially Stafford, will benefit from what was essentially a bye week last week against the Seahawks.
Los Angeles ended the season with nine wins in 12 games, and one of those losses was in Week 18 when Jimmy Garoppolo played well and nearly beat the Seahawks' starters alongside the Rams’ backups.
The Rams actually finished the season with a better Weighted DVOA than the Vikings, which takes recent performances more into account than the season-long metric. I actually make Los Angeles a slight favorite here.
My Pick: Rams +2.5 | Bet to +1.5
Rams vs. Vikings Betting Trends
