Our best bet on the Seattle Seahawks won easily yesterday, as they won outright as 3-point underdogs against the Atlanta Falcons. We have another best bet lined up for Monday Night Football's Chargers vs. Cardinals matchup. Give that a read and let us know your thoughts!
Week 8 of the NFL season kicks off with an intriguing matchup between the Vikings and the Rams on Thursday Night Football. Dive into our betting preview below for all of the info you need!
Minnesota opened up as a 3-point road favorite over Los Angeles on the look-ahead line. That number hasn't changed despite the Vikings losing in the final minute to the Lions on Sunday. Cooper Kupp should be able to play in this one for the Rams, so there could be some line movement once that's officially announced.
As for the total, it opened at 46 on Sunday afternoon. There's been quite an appetite for the Over so far from professional bettors, so much so that the new line is now 47 at most online sportsbooks.
The Vikings lost a heartbreaker on Sunday against their division-rival Lions. Minny got out to an early 10-point lead in the first quarter but that quickly evaporated before the half. After a crazy second half, Minnesota lost on a last second field goal by Jake Bates of Detroit.
While that's the type of loss that can sting for a few days, I don't expect Kevin O'Connell's bunch to just sit around and sulk. If anything, giving up 31 points could light a fire under Brian Flores and his defense. Even with that loss, Minny's D still ranks 6th in yards per play allowed and 5th in yards per rush allowed.
Sam Darnold threw a costly pick on Sunday, but he's still having his best season as a pro quarterback. The former USC Trojan has already thrown 4 touchdowns, which is tied for 4th in the league. As expected, Darnold's go-to guy has been Justin Jefferson, who has already found the end zone 5 times.
Los Angeles got a much-needed win over Las Vegas on Sunday to end their 2-game losing streak. Even still, the victory was an ugly one, as they won by just 5 points as a 7.5-point home favorite. The Rams are just 2-4 on the year, but that's mainly because they've been decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball.
Matt Stafford may be getting closer to receiving social security checks, but he's still the main man under center for coach Sean McVay. Stafford has only thrown 3 touchdowns this season, but that's mainly due to the injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. With those two out, Stafford has built up some rapport with Tutu Atwell (23 receptions, 332 yards) on the outside.
The Rams defense has struggled in several key areas through 6 games. This unit ranks just 26th in points allowed and 28th in yards per play allowed. The lone bright spot has been Jaylen McCollough, who has already hauled in 3 interceptions for the secondary.
I get that Minnesota's meltdown against Detroit was disappointing, but I think that's giving us an extra point or 2 of value in this spot. My numbers make the Vikings a 5-point favorite, even with the return of Kupp at wideout for the Rams.
If Minny would've held on against Detroit, I think the oddsmakers would've made this line Vikings -4.5. Getting Kupp back will help the Rams, but I'm betting that he'll be a bit rusty and on a so-called 'pitch count'.
I hate fading a salty-old veteran like Stafford, but the Vikings' pass rush will simply be too much for him in this one. Let's lay the 3 points and look for Minnesota to get a nice bounce-back win!
Prediction: Vikings 27 - Rams 17