Vikings vs. Rams: Free Picks and Predictions for Thursday Night Football

Minnesota Vikings (5-1 SU, 5-1 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-4 SU, 1-5 ATS)

NFL Football Week 8

Date/Time: Thursday Night Football, October 24, 2024 at 8:15 PM EDT

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

TV: Prime Video

The Minnesota Vikings come to Sofi Stadium for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in week 8 action. The Rams were able to resourcefully maneuver their way to a 20-15 win over the Raiders on Sunday, getting their second win of the season in a must-win spot. It gets tougher this week against a Minnesota Vikings team that tasted defeat for the first time last week, beaten at home after getting nipped at the wire by the Lions, 31-29. Who should we get behind this Thursday?

Getting a Lay of the Land

From a betting sense, Minnesota has been pretty good, with last week being the first time they failed to cover, in addition to being their first loss. The Rams, meanwhile, have been a near-disaster at the betting windows, going 1-5 against the spread, even failing to cover last week in their win over a depleted Raiders team. It wasn’t impressive, with Stafford pretty flat on the day, with two Kyren Williams touchdowns representing the bulk of their offense. One could expect Cooper Kupp to resurface this week, and while he may not be given a full workload, he should help a struggling Rams’ aerial game if he returns.

Losing in a hard-fought game against a bruising Detroit team and then taking to the road on the short week could present some challenges this week for the Vikings. After falling behind, they fought back hard, with a defensive TD in the fourth quarter giving them the lead, only for the Lions to kick a FG in the waning seconds. We’ve seen teams the week after facing Detroit not look so great, and that was without the road game/short week wrinkle to it. Still, with the play of resurgent QB Sam Darnold, along with a defense that was performing capably until last week, the Vikings may get a little benefit of the doubt heading into this game.

Offensive Opportunities for the Rams

While the Rams hardly possess the same venom as the Lions’ offense, last week showed that the Vikings are not invulnerable. After their first five games where the Minnesota “D” was both stout and playmaking, we saw Detroit get a run-game going, something the Rams hope resurfaces this week with Kyren Williams. The status of Kupp is key, and while we’ve seen him return from injury and immediately make a difference before, one still has to wonder how close to vintage form he will be should he, in fact, return on Thursday. Nothing against the supporting cast of receivers at Stafford’s disposal, but suffice to say, it’s been slim pickings with both Kupp and Puka Nacua out of action.

Still, as evidenced by the Rams hanging in there in games against Detroit, Chicago, San Fran, and Green Bay, they can sometimes surpass what they appear to be on paper. You see a defense that is nothing special, along with a receiver tandem that was seen as the strength of the team in shambles, yet they don’t typically allow themselves to sink to low depths. This seems like an ideal spot for the Minnesota defense to find its stride again while the Vikings’ offense wields weapons that would appear to be matchup nightmares for this LA defense. And still, something stops you from buying in completely. Whether it’s the expert stewardship of Stafford, their run-game, or their coaching, it’s just seldom as easy as it looks.

Advantages for Minnesota

One notices the sources for optimism are so few with the Rams, while the Vikings can get you in a variety of ways. We saw the Rams hold up against a Raiders team last week that is thin on options. And some of the games where it would seem the defense was playing above its head were weeks when the Rams’ defense was against offenses that were decidedly off-key in those games or dealing with personnel issues of their own. Darnold has a good back with which to work in Aaron Jones, along with one of the best in WR, Justin Jefferson. The supporting receiver cast is talented. Tight end TJ Hockenson could be getting back into action. And while there could be some weariness if they’re running the ball like that against Detroit, what answers will the Rams have? And unlike the Rams, the Vikings have other paths in the event a defense shuts one or two things down.

The equation gets a little trickier for the Vikings’ defense if Kupp is out there looking like his old self. But even so, this isn’t one of the more-diverse offenses they will be seeing this season. The receiver core is a mish-mosh of role guys. They’re getting very little from the TE position. There isn’t much in the backfield behind Williams. And sure, maybe we should take to heart some of the issues we saw from the Vikings this past week on defense. Chances are the defense that gets assessed at the end of the season won’t look as flattering as it did after their first five games. But that’s something that other teams might be able to exploit. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a party for the Rams.

Lay the Points

While acknowledging every game is big in this league, coming off a loss and not wanting to see 5-0 go to 5-2 in the course of four days, I’d expect the Vikings to come into this game swinging. After a while, their offensive options should start running this Rams’ defense a little ragged, softening them up in the second half, with the Vikings pulling away for the win and cover. I’ll take Minnesota in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread:

I’m betting on the Minnesota Vikings minus 3 points.