Rams vs. Vikings: NFL Wildcard Preview

The Wild Card round concludes with Monday Night Football, where the Los Angeles Rams will host the Minnesota Vikings in a closely contested matchup.

The Rams, playing with most of their backups, ended their regular season with a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Meanwhile, the Vikings suffered a tough defeat against the Detroit Lions, losing 31-9, which prevented them from claiming their division title and the NFC first seed.

For now, the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to face off at State Farm Stadium next Monday for the NFL Wild Card Round. The game was relocated to another city due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

Why bet on the Los Angeles Rams?

The Los Angeles Rams secured their spot in the playoffs as NFC West champions with a 10-7 record, thanks to a fifth tiebreaker criterion called Strength of Victory, as the Seattle Seahawks finished with the same record.

Their last game was at home against the Seahawks, where they lost (25-30). However, they played mostly backups, knowing they were already locked in as division winners, thanks to their five-game winning streak prior to that loss.

That said, their performance this season hasn’t been stellar. Among playoff teams, the Rams scored the fewest points (367), allowed the second-most (386), and were the only team with a negative point differential (-19). Their 22 passing touchdowns ranked 17th overall, with only the Steelers (21) and Texans (20) scoring fewer among playoff contenders.

Matthew Stafford has struggled this season, recording just one touchdown over his last three games, although the Rams won all three.

At home, they were inconsistent, finishing the regular season with a 5-4 record. On the bright side, one of those wins came against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8, during Stafford’s best game of the season.

A key player to watch is Kyren Williams. With 14 touchdowns, he’s been almost the sole contributor on the ground for the Rams, as the only other rushing touchdown came from Puka Nacua. Williams has six rushing touchdowns in his last six games, indicating he’s in good form.However, the Rams rank as the second-worst team in the league in yards per carry at 3.9, ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders (3.6).

The Rams have qualified for the playoffs in four of the last five seasons and were Super Bowl champions in 2021.

Why bet on the Minnesota Vikings?

The Minnesota Vikings (14-3) were one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the season, battling with the Detroit Lions for the top spot in the conference—and a direct ticket to the Divisional Round—up until the final day.

However, their last game could mark a turning point. Not only did they lose to the Lions, but they were also crushed 31-9. Kevin O’Connell’s offense was unable to get anything going, limited to just three field goals by Will Reichard. Sam Darnold completed less than 50% of his passes (18 of 41) and managed only 166 yards.

It remains to be seen how the team bounces back from that blow, as they entered the game riding a nine-game winning streak and the hope of securing the top spot in their division and the NFC.

Focusing on their performance this season, Darnold had his best year yet. It was his most-played season and his best record to date. Since 2018, he had only two winning seasons: 7-6 in 2019 and 4-2 in 2022. Most of his stats this year outshine his previous ones, and he became the first quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in his first season with a team.

The Vikings boast the fifth-best average yards per reception (12) and are tied for fifth in passing touchdowns with 35—all by Darnold. Justin Jefferson caught ten of those touchdowns, while Jordan Addison secured nine.

On the ground, however, the Vikings have struggled. They are the fourth-worst team in rushing touchdowns across the league, with only nine. Running back Aaron Jones is the sole player with more than one rushing touchdown (five).

This marks their second postseason appearance in the last five years, the previous one being in 2022 when they lost at home in the Wild Card Round to the New York Giants (24-31).

Their on-the-road record is 6-2, losing to the Rams and Lions.

Final Betting Analysis: Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings

The last time they faced each other was on October 24, 2024, during Week 8 of this season, and the Rams won 30-20 with four touchdown passes from Stafford. Los Angeles has won the last three matchups, while Minnesota hasn’t won since 2017 (24-17). The last time the Vikings won as visitors was in 2014 (6-34).

The odds at Gambyl Exchange favor the Minnesota Vikings, with a Moneyline of 1.87, while the Los Angeles Rams are at 1.95.

It will be a very close game because, while the Minnesota Vikings are the better team, they are coming off a tough loss, and it remains to be seen how they will recover. Despite that, we believe Sam Darnold will lead his team to victory. Go for the OVER.

Go for a win for the Vikings. If you bet $100 at 1.87, you will gain $87 for a total payout of $187.

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Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings Betting Pick: Vikings