At the onset of the season, the Los Angeles Rams were one of the biggest flops in Pro Football Betting. To illuminate, head coach Sean McVay was panned, and the Rams were written off as serious playoff contenders. Instead, Los Angeles stampeded to the NFC West Division title. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings fought to the final night of the regular season for top seed. However, they were routed on the road by the Detroit Lions. Now Minnesota must settle for a wild card spot and trip to LA for a difficult wild card matchup with the Rams.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams NFL Betting Information
Date and Time: | Monday, January 13, 2025, 8 p.m. ET |
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Location: | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA |
TV Coverage: | ESPN and ABC |
Minnesota Vikings Team Overview
Last game, the Minnesota Vikings lost 31-9 against the Detroit Lions as 2.5-point road dogs. The game went under the offshore bookmaker total of 56.5. Minnesota has a record of 14-3 straight up, 11-4-1 against the spread, and 7-9 over/under the total. Minnesota ranks 13th for total offense, 6th for passing, 20th for rushing, and 9th for scoring. Defensively they rank 13th overall, 27th against the pass, 2nd against the rush, and 5th for points allowed. Also, Minnesota ranks 17th for fewest turnovers lost and 1st for takeaways.
Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record-tying four touchdowns in the second half. Hence, the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title. Also, the Lions earned home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.
Viking quarterback Sam Darnold completed fewer than half of his passes in the first half. Specifically, he was missing opportunities to pick up first downs and score touchdowns. The Vikings were 0 of 3 in the red zone through two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 in the second quarter. But Darnold, under pressure, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson in the end zone. Darnold threw another incomplete pass on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early in the third. Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell opted to attempt a 51-yard field goal late in the third, trailing by eight. However, Reichard missed wide right. Overall, Darnold was 18 of 41 with a season-low 44% completion rate. He connected with Jefferson just three times on nine targets for 54 yards.
Los Angeles Rams Team Overview
Last game, the Los Angeles Rams lost 30-25 against the Seattle Seahawks as 7.5-point home dogs. The game went over the Pro Football Betting total of 38.5. Los Angeles has a record of 10-7 straight up, 9-8 against the spread, and 8-9 over/under the total. Los Angeles ranks 18th for total offense, 11th for passing, 24th for rushing, and 20th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 25th overall, 18th against the pass, 21st against the rush, and 17th for points allowed. Also, Los Angeles ranks 4th for fewest turnovers lost and 15th for takeaways.
Geno Smith passed for 223 yards and threw his career-best fourth touchdown pass to Noah Fant with 3:19 to play. Hence, the Seattle Seahawks finished their 12th winning season in 13 years with a victory over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
In comparison, Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 334 yards and two TDs in his debut for the Rams. LA had already clinched the NFC West title through strength of schedule before they hosted the Seahawks. The Rams rested Matthew Stafford and nearly all of his offensive starters to stay healthy for a home playoff game next weekend.
Vikings at Rams SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, both teams trended under the total this year. Last week, the Rams lost a meaningless game in which they protected quarterback Matthew Stafford. Now, they will turn the dogs loose in a playoff home game as a live dog. Last week at Detroit, the Vikings were exposed.
Vikings at Rams SBG Best Bets: Los Angeles Rams and Under the Total.