LOS ANGELES RAMS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 13, 2025

LOS ANGELES RAMS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 13, 2025 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. Our Monday Night Football contest features the Los Angeles  Rams (10-7 SU, 9-8 ATS) hosting the Minnesota Vikings (14-3 SU, 11-5-1 ATS) in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, January 13, 2025 @ 8:00 PM ET

Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

TV: ABC/ESPN

Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings — How We Got Here & Betting Trends

After a 5-6 start, the Rams reeled off five straight victories before dropping a 30-25 decision against the Seattle Seahawks in the regular season finale. However, not too much stock should be put into that game because the team rested its offensive starters. Like the Rams, the Vikings also enter this tilt on the heels of a loss. Unfortunately, their 31-9 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions in Week 18 cost them the division title and the top seed in the conference. It’s more than fair to say that Minnesota cannot be pleased about being relegated to a road team in the opening round of the postseason despite winning 14 games.

These teams faced each other in late October, with the Rams claiming a 30-20 victory. Minnesota’s defense could not contain Matthew Stafford, who finished with four touchdowns while completing  73.5 percent of his passes. Ironically, the Vikings had lost to the Lions 31-29 four days before that matchup. Will that trend play out again, or will Sam Darnold and Co. upend Los Angeles in his playoff debut?

Now that we have set the stage for this postseason showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.

Rams vs. Vikings Spread Analysis

Although the Rams have the higher seed because they won their division, they enter this contest as a 2.5-point underdog (per OddsShark.com). Here’s a look at how the teams have performed against the spread.

• The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
• LA has covered the spread five times in its previous seven matchups against NFC opponents.
• In their last five January matchups, the Rams are 4-1 against the spread.
• Meanwhile, the Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their previous five games.
• Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last six outings against teams in the NFC West division.
• The Vikings are 3-5-1 ATS in their previous nine road matchups against the Rams.

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings (-2.5)

Rams vs. Vikings Over/Under Prediction

The projected scoring total for this matchup is 47.5 points (via OddsShark.com). Here’s why going with the “over” is the intelligent choice.

• The total has gone OVER four times in the Rams’ last six home games.
• The OVER total has hit 11 times in LA’s previous 15 outings against Minnesota.
• The total has gone OVER nine times in the Vikings’ last 10 road outings against Los Angeles.

Prediction: OVER 47.5 points

Rams vs. Vikings Player Prop Bet

Coming off a season in which he threw for 3,762 yards with 20 TDs and eight picks, Matthew Stafford is the key player to watch for the home team in this matchup. He currently has -110 odds of exceeding 238.5 passing yards and -110 odds of finishing with less than 238.5 yards (via Bet365.com). Let’s see how his numbers stack up against the projected yards total.

• During the season, Stafford averaged 235.1 yards per game.
• Stafford has suited up in eight home games this season. In those contests, he averages 244.9 yards per outing.
• In 11 matchups against NFC teams this season, Stafford is averaging 235.5 yards per game.
• Stafford has averaged 194.8 yards per outing across his last four starts, exceeding the projected yards total for this matchup only once during that stretch.

Prediction: Matthew Stafford OVER 238.5 passing yards