Vikings vs. Rams Predictions, Picks & Odds: Thursday Night Football, 10/24
Week 8 kicks off, as always, with Thursday Night Football. This week, we have the Minnesota Vikings coming off their first loss of the season taking on the Los Angeles Rams, who are looking to stay alive in the NFC West. With the matchup coming before we know it, we’ve got our best Vikings vs. Rams predictions for you.
No matter if you back the best bet from our Vikings vs. Rams picks or not, we’ll also be providing you with a $1,000 Caesars Sportsbook sign up bonus!
Vikings vs. Rams Predictions For Thursday Night Football, NFL Week 8
The Vikings and Rams were both a part of one-score games on Sunday afternoon, but it’s safe to say that the former featured much more sound, impressive football, while the latter featured sloppy play that led to such a close finish.
Therefore, we aren’t surprised to see Minnesota listed as road favorites, which surprisingly, treated teams well this past weekend. Until the New York Jets lost on Sunday Night Football, all road favorites won in Week 7.
We expect that trend to continue with this matchup, especially given how close the Vikings were to advancing to 6-0. They are still very much in the driver’s seat in the NFC playoff race, which is why they’ll be the focus of the best bet from our Vikings vs. Rams predictions coming up.
Minnesota Vikings: Not Dwelling On Last Week
Playing on Thursday nights is generally not a team’s favorite aspect of the NFL schedule, but in this case, it may suit the Vikings well. After being 5-0 and having a week off with their bye, last Sunday’s loss to the division rival Detroit Lions in such heart-breaking fashion is something they’ll want to forget.
With virtually no time to dwell on it given this matchup with the Rams. they could actually benefit from the short week. That’s only the Minnesota mindset, and with how things have looked in LA outside of the beautiful weather, signs are pointing in the direction of the Vikings on just about all fronts.
Los Angeles Rams: Tail Of Different Halves
As much as the short week may actually benefit the Vikings, it has the complete opposite effect for the Rams. They’ve been trying effortlessly to get healthy, namely WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, so fewer days to allow them to do so isn’t a positive.
Admittedly, Kupp was nearly ready for Week 7 before ultimately sitting out again. Nacua is eligible to return from injured reserve for this matchup, but given what we’ve been hearing, it’s difficult to imagine he'll be 100% if he does end up suiting up. After nearly allowing the Las Vegas Raiders to come back this past Sunday, stocks are falling for the Rams.
Vikings vs. Rams Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
As mentioned, the Vikings vs. Rams odds have Minnesota listed as road favorites, and you can see each of the standard markets at Caesars Sportsbook below:
- Point Spread: Minnesota Vikings -3 (-110) vs. Los Angeles Rams +3 (-110)
- Money Line: Minnesota Vikings (-170) vs. Los Angeles Rams (+143)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 47.5 (-105) vs. Under 47.5 (-115)
Vikings vs. Rams Predictions: Minnesota -3 (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Let’s not just gloss over the most recent point that we made - the Rams had to fight to the bitter end to beat the Raiders 20-15. It was a far from inspiring performance, even at home. Well, as most fans have realized by now, playing at home means all but nothing for LA.
LA often brings more fans of the opposition to the stadium, and you can be sure that plenty of fans in Minnesota will gladly take the trip out west with winter approaching. Regardless, we aren’t fully selling the Vikings just because of their first loss of the season.
Let’s remember that it came by the hands of the Lions, who currently have the shortest odds to win the entire NFC (+350 at Caesars)! Again, they also narrowly pulled off the win, but QB Jared Goff is simply on another level as of late.
On the flip side, Rams QB Matthew Stafford hasn’t been able to look like his Super Bowl form, primarily due to his lack of weapons. There’s no doubt that RB Kyren Williams has been their bright spot, but they’re going to need more than one weapon when facing a team as balanced as Minnesota.
Even after last Sunday’s loss, not only is Minnesota 5-1, but they’re also 5-1 against the spread, so we’ll gladly make the best bet from our Vikings vs. Rams predictions on Minnesota -3 (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook).
Vikings vs. Rams Injury Report & Latest News
We’ve noted key injuries throughout our Vikings vs. Rams predictions, and we have the Monday practice report for you below:
MIN Vikings:
- Blake Cashman - DNP
- Akayleb Evans - LP
- T.J. Hockenson - LP
- Aaron Jones - LP
- Patrick Jones II - LP
- Josh Oliver - LP
- Harrison Phillips - LP
LA Rams:
- Troy Reeder - DNP
- Braden Fiske - DNP
- Jordan Whittington - DNP
- Neville Gallimore - DNP
- Joe Noteboom - LP
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Player News
Packers signed WR Bo Melton, RB Emanuel Wilson, and P Daniel Whelan to their exclusive rights free agent tenders.
Melton caught on with the Packers in 2023, totaling 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown in five games. He added eight receptions for 91 yards in 17 games last season. Melton will continue to be a depth piece in an already-deep Packers wide receiver room. Wilson has also been with the Packers for two seasons and rushed for 502 yards and four touchdowns as Josh Jacobs’ immediate backup last season. He will compete with MarShawn Lloyd for that role again. Whelan is the team’s punter and will be back for 2025. All three signed their exclusive rights free agent tender and will essentially be on one-year contracts this season.
Seahawks re-signed Johnathan Hankins to a one-year contract.
Hankins hasn’t had a PFF run defense grade above 52.4 since 2020 and is primarily called on to play early downs. He turned 33 in March. He’ll be a complimentary piece behind Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II if he makes the roster out of training camp.
Chargers placed the UFA tender on RB J.K. Dobbins.
This gives the Chargers exclusive negotiating rights if he does not sign with a team by July 22 or the first 2025 NFL training camp opens, whichever comes first. The tag is mainly useful for compensatory pick reasons as Dobbins will still count towards Los Angeles’ haul in the formula if signed before then. The Chargers currently do not project to add a pick in 2026 per Over The Cap’s Nick Korte.
49ers signed OT D.J. Humphries.
Humphries played in only two games for the Chiefs last year as he spent most of the season rehabbing a late 2023 torn ACL on his own. He wasn’t appreciably good in either of those games, but he was rusty and does have a history of better than that. Entering his age-32 season for the 49ers, he’ll probably be trying to win the right tackle job opposite Trent Williams in training camp.
Patriots released LS Joe Cardona.
The team selected his replacement, Julian Ashby, in the seventh round of the draft. This snapper of balls who are longer than usual is only 33, and it’s possible he picks up his career elsewhere. There aren’t too many remaining Patriots Regimes in the wild in 2025, but Nick Caserio does still run the Texans and they let Jon Weeks walk this offseason so that’s one speculative fit.
NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill said he would be “flabbergasted” if Derek Carr played for the Saints this year.
“I would have trouble understanding why you would allow that to happen, you’re trying to build a new culture, you can’t let that guy ... you just got a rookie QB, this is the example you’re going to give him,” Underhill continued. Both Underhill and Mike Triplett believe Tyler Shough will be starting for the Saints in Week 1, with Underhill saying he had “80 percent or higher odds to start 80 percent of the games this year.” Shough would be an uninspiring superflex pick, perhaps a QB3, but given how things have played out with Carr over the past months it sure doesn’t seem like the Saints have a reason to want to continue this relationship. Mickey Loomis literally asked reporters to stop asking him Carr questions at his pre-draft press conference.