LOS ANGELES RAMS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — October 24, 2024

LOS ANGELES RAMS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — October 24, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. Our Thursday night matchup features the Los Angeles Rams (2-4 SU, 1-5 ATS) hosting the Minnesota Vikings (5-1 SU, 5-1 ATS).

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

Kickoff

When: Sunday, October 24, 2024 @ 8:15 PM ET

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

TV: Amazon Prime Video

Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings — In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Rams had dropped four of their first five games heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. While the contest was not pretty by any means, Los Angeles held on for a 20-15 victory, snapping a two-game losing skid. Matthew Stafford threw for just 154 yards with one interception, representing his lowest total during his four-year tenure with the team. Kyren Williams — who had two rushing touchdowns — accounted for 76 of the team’s 115 rushing yards. On the other side of the ball, the Rams held Las Vegas to 3-for-15 on third down and recorded two sacks. Even more important, the unit forced four turnovers, which equaled the team’s total through the first five weeks of the season.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Vikings are coming off a heartbreaking 31-29 loss to the Detroit Lions. Sam Darnold, who completed just 45 percent of his passing attempts against the New York Jets two weeks ago, finished 22 of 27 for 259 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Aaron Jones rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Jefferson had seven receptions for 81 yards and a TD. Minnesota jumped out to a 10-0 lead but trailed 28-17 heading into the final frame. Despite the double-digit deficit, the Vikings had one last chance to come away with the win, but it was not meant to be. On their final drive, an illegal formation penalty pushed them out of field goal range, and Darnold was sacked on the game’s final play, giving the Lions their fourth straight win over Minnesota.

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

The Spread

Following their five-point win over the Raiders, the Rams enter this matchup as a three-point underdog (via OddsShark.com). Let’s see how both teams have fared against the spread.

• The Rams are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• Los Angeles has covered the spread four times in its previous six home contests.
• In their last seven matchups against Minnesota, the Rams are 1-5-1 against the spread.
• Meanwhile, the Vikings are 5-1 ATS across their last six outings.
• Minnesota has covered the spread seven times in its previous 10 road contests (7-1-2).
• In their last eight games against NFC West opponents, the Vikings are 6-2 against the spread.

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings (-3)

Over/Under

This matchup’s projected scoring output is 48 points (via OddsShark.com). Here are the teams’ over/under trends for this contest.

• The total has gone UNDER seven times in the Rams’ last 10 road games.
• In Los Angeles’s six previous matchups against NFC North opponents, the UNDER total has prevailed five times.
• The total has gone OVER eight times in the Vikings’ last nine road matchups against Los Angeles.
• The OVER total 5-2 in Minnesota’s previous seven contests against NFC opponents.
• Los Angeles and Minnesota average 47 points per outing, one point less than the projected scoring total.
• These teams’ opponents average 43.5 points per contest, which is 4.5 points less than the over/under total for this matchup.

Prediction: OVER 48 points

Player Prop Bet

Matthew Stafford is the key player to watch for the home team. He currently has -115 odds of exceeding 237.5 passing yards and -115 odds of finishing with less than 237.5 yards (per DraftKings). Here’s a look at how his numbers stack up against the estimated points total.

• During the season, Stafford is averaging 247.6 yards per outing.
• In 22 career matchups against the Vikings, Stafford has averaged 244.2 yards per outing with an 87.6 passer rating.
• The Rams have played three home games this season. Stafford is averaging 211.7 yards per outing in those contests.
• Stafford has averaged 212.7 yards per game across his previous three outings, exceeding the yards total for this matchup once during that stretch.

Prediction: Matthew Stafford OVER 237.5 passing yards