Los Angeles Rams (10-7) vs Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
Game Info: Monday, January 13, 2025 at 8:00 pm (SoFi Stadium)
The Line: Betting Odds: Los Angeles Rams +1.5 — Over/Under: 47.5
The Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams meet in Wild Card Round NFL Playoff action from SoFi Stadium on Monday night. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams prediction.
Minnesota Vikings Recap
The Minnesota Vikings come into the postseason as the #5 seed which sounds absurd considering they finished with a 14-3 overall record, but lost out to the Detroit Lions for the division title and top spot in the NFC on the final day of the regular season. This will be Minnesota’s second playoff appearance in the last three years under Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings will be looking for their first playoff win since 2019.
Vikings Looking To Keep Strong Season Alive
Sam Darnold has thrown for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on 66.2% passing while Aaron Jones has rushed for 1,138 yards and 5 touchdowns. Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings’ receiving group with 103 grabs for 1,533 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while Jordan Addison has 875 receiving yards with 9 TD and three more Vikings have 400+ receiving yards as well on the year. On defense, Blake Cashman has a team-high 112 total tackles and 4.5 sacks while Andrew Van Ginkel has 11.5 sacks. Jonathan Greenard also has a team-high 12 sacks Pat Jones II has 7 sacks, Byron Murphy Jr. has 6 interceptions and Camryn Bynum and Harrison Smith each have 3 INTs. As a unit, Minnesota’s defense has combined for 49 sacks and 24 interceptions on the year.
Why the Minnesota Vikings will win
- The favorites have won each of the Vikings’ last 10 games.
- The Rams have lost each of their last four Monday games.
- The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Vikings’ last five games.
- The Rams have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four Monday games.
Los Angeles Rams Recap
The Los Angeles Rams come into this game as the NFC West champions, finishing 10-7 overall for their first division title since 2021 when the Rams ended up winning the Super Bowl.
Rams Looking To Keep Momentum Going
Matthew Stafford has thrown for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 65.8% passing while Kyren Williams has rushed for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns so far this season. Puka Nacua leads the Rams with 990 receiving yards along with 79 receptions and 3 TDs while Cooper Kupp has 67 grabs for 710 yards and 6 TDs and Tutu Atwell has 562 receiving yards. Demarcus Robinson also has 505 receiving yards with 7 TDs and another three Rams have 250+ receiving yards on the year. On defense, Christian Rozeboom has a team-high 135 total tackles while Kobie Turner has 8 sacks. Braden Fiske has a team-high 8.5 sacks and Byron Young has 7.5 sacks and Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCullough each have 4 interceptions. As a unit, the Rams’ defense has combined for 38 sacks and 13 interceptions so far this season.
Why the Los Angeles Rams will win
- The Rams have won each of their last six home games following a home loss.
- The Vikings have lost 10 of their last 11 road games against NFC West opponents.
- The Rams have covered the spread in seven of their last eight January games as underdogs against NFC opponents.
- The Vikings have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven road games in January.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Vikings’ last seven Monday games has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Rams’ last five Monday games has gone UNDER the total points line.
Vikings vs. Rams Prediction
Obviously there’s a lot up in the air with this game as to where it will be played with everything going on in California right now, but regardless of where it’s played, I like the Rams here. Sam Darnold had a fantastic season, but he’s never played in a playoff game in his career believe it or not, and I think there could actually be some jitters for him here and he didn’t necessarily have his best game last week against the Lions in a high-stakes game. The Rams had been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last couple of months of the season, and I just think that the Rams’ edge in playoff experience will prove to be the difference here. Give me the Rams.