Vikings vs Rams Lines, NFL Wild Card Prediction, Spread, Totals

The final Monday night game of the NFL season features the Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams, but the NFC Wild-Card matchup had to be moved from L.A. to the Phoenix area due to the California wildfires.

The Vikings are short favorites on the NFL odds.

Opening Spreads/Totals Subject to Change: Vikings -2.5 (total 48)
Expert Prediction: Vikings 24, Rams 23

How to Bet Vikings at Rams NFL Lines Wild Card & TV Info

Moneylines NFL: Los Angeles +114 / Minnesota -139
When: Monday, 8 PM ET
Where: State Farm Stadium
TV: ABC, ESPN
Stream Option: ESPN+

Minnesota Vikings Analysis

This is not the first time an NFL game has been relocated due to weather conditions and it’s not even the first time — or second time — a Vikings game has been relocated for that reason. In 2010, two of the Vikings scheduled home games were displaced after the Dec. 11 Metrodome roof collapse. Minnesota’s game against the Giants was initially slated for Sunday, Dec. 12, but was rescheduled to Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit. The following week, the Vikings hosted their game against the Bears at the University of Minnesota.

Final #Vikings injury report

OUT: Pat Jones II

QUESTIONABLE: Cam Akers (illness) and Taki Taimani*

*Currently within 21-day practice window pic.twitter.com/Ae9fFyR8Dj
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 11, 2025

Sam Darnold

The Vikings had a chance to win the NFC North and earn the conference’s top seed on Sunday night in Week 18 but got routed 31-9 in Detroit and thus became the first team ever with at least 14 wins to become a wild-card club. Sam Darnold has had a stellar season for the Vikings but had his worst game of the year, throwing for just 166 yards on 41 attempts. Darnold still had 12 games this season with a passer rating above 100 and 2-plus pass TDs. Those are the fourth most by a QB in a single season all-time and most since Aaron Rodgers set the record with 14 in 2020.

On Monday, Darnold is seeking to become the sixth starting quarterback since 1966 to win his first career postseason start while playing for his fourth team or later. Of the previous five, three went on to reach the Super Bowl that season.

The Vikings have struggled in the red this season and were 0-for-4 against Detroit. That dropped the offense’s TD success rate in the red zone from 59.6%, which would rank sixth, to 55.7% – 12th overall and 10th among 14 playoff squads.

The Receivers

This despite WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison becoming just the third set of first-round receivers to each have at least 10 touchdowns in a season. The duo joined Marvin Harrison, Sr., and Reggie Wayne (2004 Colts) and Gary Collins and Paul Warfield (1969 Browns). Jefferson and Addison combined for 121 receptions since Week 8, which trailed only 132 by Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, 124 by Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp and 122 by Chicago’s DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.

The Defense

Defensively, the Vikings amassed the third-most QB pressures (254) and tied for fourth in the NFL with 49 sacks. Pro Bowl selections Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, by the way, teamed up as one of two duos in the NFL with at least 11.0 sacks (Greenard recorded 12.0 and Van Ginkel 11.5).

The Record

Minnesota is the first team with 14-plus wins to not win a division title and will become the first squad to play a road playoff game before a conference championship. The only other three teams to win 14 or more games and play a road playoff game were the 1972 Dolphins (won AFC Championship and Super Bowl VII to finish season 17-0), 1998 Falcons (ugh, you know what happened in that NFC Championship, and lost Super Bowl XXXIII to the Broncos) and the 2004 Patriots (won AFC Championship 41-27 and Super Bowl XXXIX).

Against the Spread

The Vikings are 6-2 ATS in their past eight games. They are 5-1 ATS in their past six games as favorites. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell used to be an offensive coordinator for the Rams under Sean McVay. History doesn’t favor O’Connell in this matchup, as head coaches are 11-2 vs. former assistants in the playoffs in the past 20 seasons and 25-12 since 1960, according to NFL Research.

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Vikings at Rams NFL Lines Wild Card provided by MyBookie

Los Angeles Rams Analysis

The Rams rested most of their starters in a meaningless Week 18 loss vs. Seattle with the NFC West title locked up. QB Matthew Stafford finished the season completing 340-of-517 passes for 3,803 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ranked 11th in the NFL in completions, 12th in passing first downs (176), 13th in passing yards, and 15th in passer rating (93.7). This season, he passed Eli Manning for 10th place on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdowns (377) and passing yards (59,809) leaderboards. He surpassed 3,000 passing yards in a season for the 12th time in his career.

Keys to a Wild Card victory 🔑
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 12, 2025

Puka Nacua

In his postseason debut last year, Rams wide receiver Nacua had nine receptions for 181 yards and one touchdown, the most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game in NFL history and the third-most receiving yards by a player in his playoff debut all-time. On Monday, Nacua can join Anthony Carter (306 receiving yards) as the only players all-time with at least 300 receiving yards in their first two postseason games. Nacua can also become the sixth player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of his first two playoff games, joining Vernon Davis, Hakeem Nicks, Larry Fitzgerald, Sterling Sharp and Steve Smith Sr.

This season, Nacua recorded 990 yards on 79 receptions including three touchdowns. Despite missing five games this season, his 2,476 receiving yards in his first two seasons rank sixth all-time and his 184 receptions in his first two seasons rank seventh all-time. He became the second player in NFL history to record at least 150 receptions, 2,000 receiving yards, and nine receiving touchdowns in his first 25 career games and joined Odell Beckham Jr.

Cooper Kupp

Fellow WR Kupp tallied 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. He became the first player in NFL history to record 600+ receptions, 7,500+ receiving yards and 50+ touchdown receptions in a player’s first 100 career games. In Week 13, Kupp recorded the most receptions (625) in a player’s first 100 games. He also climbed to third in receiving touchdowns (57) and receptions (634) in franchise history.

Kupp has 50 receptions for 652 yards and seven touchdown receptions in seven career postseason games, including 33 receptions and 478 yards during the Rams Super Bowl LVI championship run, the most receptions and second-most receiving yards by a player in a single postseason all-time. On Monday, he can become the third player in NFL history with at least 60 receptions in his first eight postseason games, joining Julio Jones (61 receptions) and Wes Welker (61). Kupp can also become the fifth player in NFL history with eight touchdown receptions in his first eight playoff games, joining Larry Fitzgerald (10) as well as Hall of Famers Randy Moss (nine), Fred Biletnikoff (eight) and Jerry Rice (eight).

Kyren Williams

Tailback Williams finished the season ranked second in rushing first downs (85), tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (14), and seventh in rushing yards (1,299). He recorded single-season career highs in rushing yards (1,299) and rushing touchdowns (14). Williams joined Marshall Faulk (18 in 2000) and Todd Gurley II (17 in 2018) as the only Rams players since 2000 to record 14 rushing touchdowns in a season.

The Rams were flagged the fewest times this season of any playoff team, and their average of 6.2 per game ranked fifth in the NFL. Referee John Hussey’s crew averaged the NFL’s second-fewest flags per game (13.4). The Vikings drew the most flags (8.3 per game) in the league.

Change of location

The Rams still hope for a sizable home-field advantage for Monday’s game, even if it’s roughly 375 miles and a six-hour drive from SoFi Stadium, their actual home field in L.A. The team’s season-ticket holders bought 25,000 tickets in the first hour of availability on Friday, and the team has arranged for at least 15 buses to drive fans from Inglewood for the game. In some ways, State Farm Stadium has been the Rams’ home away from home for a decade. Los Angeles had won nine straight games in Arizona before the streak was snapped earlier this season.

Vikings vs Rams Last Meeting

In Week 8 on a Thursday night in Los Angeles, the Vikings were upset 30-20 by the Rams. Matthew Stafford threw for 279 yards and four scores, two from Demarcus Robinson. Kyren Williams rushed for 97 yards and caught an early TD pass for the Rams. Sam Darnold passed for 240 yards for the Vikings. Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 115 yards, while Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield caught TD passes from Darnold. Minnesota was held to two field goals in the final three quarters. This is the first playoff matchup between the teams since after the 2000 season.