HomeNFLNFL PredictionsMinnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams Prediction, Odds and TNF Picks

Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams Prediction, Odds and TNF Picks for Today, 10/24/24

Updated: 8:35 AM ET Oct 23, 2024

SoFi StadiumAmazon Prime Video

Vikings

8:15 PM ETToday

Rams

WWWWL	Last 5	LWLLW
5-1	Record	2-4
5-1-0	ATS Record	1-5-0
2-4	O/U Record	3-3

Best Bets

NFL

Point Spread PickBest Bet

MIN Vikings -3.0(-102)MIN Vikings @ LA Rams

Reasoning

The Minnesota Vikings were finally handed their first loss of the season against the mighty Detroit Lions, but I still left with more optimism about head coach Kevin O’Connell’s program. The Lions have been a burgeoning roster for years now, potentially ready to take the NFC crown this season — yet Minnesota hung with its NFC North rival throughout the entire contest. In time of possession, total yards, turnovers and in virtually every box-score category (even their third-down conversions were both 4 for 10), the 31-29 Detroit victory was truly a very even matchup. Considering how explosive the Lions are right now (Jared Goff went 22 of 25 for 280 yards, for example), that’s an impressive feat for a Vikings squad that has only recently found sterling success.

While modeling and advanced data can reveal much about a given team or contest, a simple box-score analysis is still one of the better mechanisms one can use when handicapping a given sport. In this case, that method works very well for each team for this preview. The Rams, although they won 20-15 against the hapless Raiders on Sunday, were far less impressive. Despite coming off a bye week, L.A. only gained 259 yards against the Raiders’ defense. Las Vegas has a solid group on that side of the ball, but the Rams closed as -7.5 favorites and never found a way to pull ahead. Even with Gardner Minshew granting the Rams 3 interceptions, the home team let a disorganized and volatile Las Vegas team add up 20 first downs and 317 yards, and they kept the affair close.

I don’t love that for the Rams on Thursday night. Cooper Kupp is questionable and right now the Rams are unsure how much he will be used in this matchup. The Vikings, on the other hand, are angry about their first loss — which came on a last-second field goal — and they have been performing at a high level all season. Add to the fact that TNF favorites are 6-1 ATS and 7-0 straight up and there’s no other way I can look.

Vikings vs Rams prediction: Minnesota -3 (-102) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Vikings vs Rams Pickswise Expert Predictions

NFL

Game Totals Pick

Under 48.0(-108)MIN Vikings @ LA Rams

Reasoning

This total immediately shot up 3 points (from 45 to 48) from its opener, showing that “big money” must be expecting plenty of points on Thursday. I find it tough to disagree, but the number is getting too high at this point. As such, my Vikings vs Rams prediction is a lean toward the under.

The Rams’ offense was less than impressive this past Sunday. Sure, they were facing a game-ready Raiders’ defense, coached by a defensively-minded leader, but following a bye week and with head coach Sean McVay’s ability to scheme-up brilliant plays, I thought they would have looked better. An even bigger test is coming on Thursday night. The Vikings have been one of the best defenses in the NFL since the start of the season, boasting top-10 rankings in virtually every major category. Whether Cooper Kupp will be featured or not will be a huge factor in this Week 8 opener, since Minnesota is #1 in interception rate (4.31% of passes) and 8th in sack rate (8.6%). The Vikings are also 8th in opponent third-down conversion rate (32.1%), a metric where the Rams have struggled (they rank 20th, gaining a first down on just 37.5% of tries). The Rams’ running attack has been virtually non-existent (4 yards per carry, 27th, 100 yards per game, 26th), which means the onus will be on Stafford to create magic while constantly being pressured by a very good defense.

I like the Vikings to score and score at will; the Rams’ defense has shown some signs of improvement, but they still can’t be trusted. They are in the bottom fourth of the league in more categories than I can list here (including opponent points and yards per game, yards per rush and yards per pass). And while Stafford and his colleagues will likely be chasing all game, I’m not sure they can reach 20 points against Brian Flores and his angry defense. This isn’t my strongest play, but this is resting above 47 (a key number in totals) and that’s too rich for my blood.

Vikings vs Rams prediction: Under 48 (-108) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Ricky Dimon

Show Bio

Since graduating from Davidson (The College That Stephen Curry Built), I have been writing about sports -- just about any and all you can think of! -- and coaching tennis in Atlanta, GA. Beyond the four major sports, I am an avid tennis fan and cover the ATP Tour on a daily basis. If I'm not busy writing, you can generally find me on a tennis court or traveling the world wherever a sporting event takes me. For Ricky Dimon media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

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Same Game Parlay

Alternate Point Spread

MIN Vikings -5.5

Anytime Touchdown Scorer

J. Jefferson (MIN) to score a TD

Player Receiving Yards

C. Kupp (LAR) - 70+ rec yds

Reasoning

Minnesota Vikings -5.5 alternate spread over LA Rams (+142)

Minnesota’s Week 7 loss came to the Detroit Lions by a 31-29 margin on a field goal in the final seconds. Needless to say, there is no shame in that result. The Vikings have been great pretty much this entire season. Sam Darnold continued his renaissance of sorts, completing 22 of 27 passes for 259 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Darnold has thrown 12 TD passes through 6 games. Defensively, the Vikes have allowed 17 points or fewer in 4 of 6 contests. As for the Rams, they beat the lowly Las Vegas Raiders 20-15 this past weekend in a thoroughly unspectacular performance. Cooper Kupp is back from an ankle injury, but Puka Nacua remains sidelined. Minnesota is 3-0 away from home this year, including a win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. There is no reason why the visitors can’t go into SoFi Stadium and win with relative ease.

Justin Jefferson to score a touchdown (-115)

Jefferson feels like lock to score a touchdown every time he takes the field, so getting -115 is actually a generous price. He has found the end zone in all 5 games played in the United States so far this season (he has only failed to produce a TD when Minnesota beat the New York Jets in London). There is no reason to think the Rams will suddenly be the ones to stop Jefferson. They are in the bottom half of the NFL in passing defense and have surrendered 10 touchdowns through the air compared to 6 on the ground. I feel good about Jefferson delivering touchdown #6 of the 2024 campaign on Thursday night.

Cooper Kupp to record 70+ receiving yards (-115)

The Rams are mercifully getting back 1 of their 2 top receivers this week. With Nacua still sidelined, Kupp will be counted on to provide instant offense for Los Angeles. In his only full game of the year (he was injured during a disastrous 41-10 Week 2 loss at the Arizona Cardinals), the Eastern Washington product made a whopping 14 receptions on 21 targets for 110 yards and 1 touchdown. Kupp ended last season in strong fashion, too, going for at least 111 yards in 2 of the final 4 contests. He now faces a Minnesota defense that is 3rd-last in the league against the pass, mainly because it is almost always playing from ahead and the opposition is forced to air it out. That should be the case again in this one.

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Ricky Dimon

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8:15 PM ETToday

Vikings vs Rams TNF Same Game Parlay

Model projections coming soon

Top Trends

Game Totals

The Under was 10-7 in the Rams' home games and the Vikings' road games combined last season.

Point Spread

The Vikings have covered in 4 of their last 5 games.

Money Line

The Vikings have won their last 9 games when a road favorite.

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