The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams will kick off Week 8 in the NFL with a Thursday Night Football matchup. The game will start at 8:15 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium and will be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video.
We have Vikings vs. Rams picks on the spread and over/under, as well as a player prop on the L.A. side.
The Vikings fell for the first time all season last week, losing narrowly to the NFC North-leading Lions to move to 5-1. The Rams, meanwhile, sit at the bottom of the NFC West at 2-4 as trade rumors have swirled around All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp, who is expected to make his return tonight after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2.
Let's get into our NFL picks and predictions for Thursday Night Football.
Vikings vs. Rams Predictions
| Game | Time (ET) | Picks |
|---|---|---|
  | 8:15 p.m | |
| 8:15 p.m | |
| 8:15 p.m | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Vikings vs. Rams Pick Against the Spread
By Billy Ward
Minnesota suffered its first loss of the season in Week 7, by way of a last-second field goal from the Lions. That two-point differential is the only thing between them and a 6-0 record, as they’ve proven themselves to be one of the NFL’s best teams through the first third of the season.
And yet, they’re only favored by 2.5 points against the 2-4 Rams. Los Angeles has been spinning its wheels all season with a mediocre defense and an offense unable to get anything going. That’s largely because of injuries at wide receiver, where both of their top two options have missed significant time.
While Cooper Kupp is in line to return this week, Puka Nacua is still likely going to be out. Kupp is also likely to be limited, either in effectiveness or usage, in his first game since his Week 2 ankle injury.
Even at full strength, the Rams would struggle to keep it close against a Vikings team averaging 28 points per game. Minnesota is also getting healthy, with a relatively sparse injury report and the potential return of tight end T.J. Hockenson this week.
All of that makes getting Minnesota inside of the key number of three a solid value. That line is only available at DraftKings at the time of this writing, but keep an eye on NFL odds in case the line falls elsewhere. I'd play Vikings -3 but would recommend trying to get -2.5 at -122 or better.
Pick: Vikings -2.5 (-122)
Over/Under Pick
This total is a few points too high now as it has passed through some key numbers when playing totals. The Rams have played three consecutive games in which the total hasn't reached 43 points, and now they will have to deal with the top defense in the NFL, according to DVOA.
This Vikings defense has surrendered 29 points twice this season, but that was against top-tier offenses in the Packers and the Lions. In all other games — including against the 49ers, Jets and Texans — this Minnesota defense has only given up 11.7 points per game.
As for the Rams defense, their metrics are not impressive by any means but they are very zone-heavy in pass coverage. Sam Darnold has torched man coverage this season, averaging greater than 10 yards per attempt and ranking second in the league versus man. Against zone, which the Rams play at a 76% rate, Darnold's numbers are not nearly as gaudy, dropping to 14th league-wide at 7.8 yards per attempt.
Oddsmakers clearly believe this will be a closely contested game, lining this game within a field goal, and there are some books now listing Minnesota as just a 2.5-point favorite. It's very hard to envision a scenario in which this game turns into a high-scoring affair and the Rams keep it within striking distance. I really like the value we are getting on the total and believe it should be lined closer to the 44 to 44.5 range.
Pick: Under 48
Vikings vs. Rams Player Props
It looks like Cooper Kupp will play in this game and Puka Nacua will not. Kupp is rumored to be on the trade block, but I still expect the Rams to give him his normal workload with their lack of wide receiver depth.
Kupp should be in for massive volume, considering he will be the Rams' only competent pass-catcher in this offense. When Kupp is on the field without Nacua, his volume has been very high.
The last time we saw him without Nacua was back in 2021 and 2022, when he had 22 touchdowns in 26 games. Last season, Kupp still had five touchdowns in 12 games while playing with Nacua. When Kupp is available and Nacua is not, Kupp simply shouldn't be listed at plus odds to score, especially in a game with a 48-point total and a close spread.
Pick: Cooper Kupp Anytime TD (+125)
