Due to the devastating and tragic wildfires in California, the NFL announced on Thursday that it would be moving the Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the home of the Cardinals. The venue change created an adjustment to the line, with the Vikings inching out to a bigger favorite.

The time and date stayed the same, so not all wagers would have been voided depending on the sportsbook. You’ll have to check the House Rules and make sure to reach out to chat support if necessary, but we’re looking at a game with a bit of a different feel now and the neutral setting is likely to alter the crowd dynamics a bit.

 

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How To Watch Vikings vs. Rams

When: Monday, January 13th at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ

Channel: ABC/ESPN/ESPN+

Vikings vs. Rams Odds

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday, January 9th. Look around for the best prices!

Moneyline: Vikings -130, Rams +110

Spread: Vikings -2.5 (-112), Rams +2.5 (-108)

Total: Over 47.5 (-112), Under 47.5 (-108)

Check out our Vikings vs. Rams matchup page!

Vikings vs. Rams Analysis

The Vikings were lined as road favorites at SoFi Stadium had the game been played in Inglewood and moved from -1.5 to -2.5 pretty much across the board with both teams now traveling to a neutral site. We’ll have to see what kind of attendance this game gets and who, if anybody, holds a crowd edge, but travel plans to California may have been interrupted by the fires for Vikings fans, who can now shift their focus to Arizona.

Regardless, it may not be that big to matter. However, there are a lot of variables and factors that do matter in this game. Let’s start with the head-to-head meeting, where the Vikings were favorites on Thursday Night Football back in late October. The Rams won that game 30-20 and were the better team, holding the Vikings to just 276 yards. Los Angeles ran 16 more plays and was a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone. That game represented one of Minnesota’s three losses.

Now, let’s put that game in the right context, as the Vikings had to go from Minneapolis to Los Angeles on a short week and also were coming off of the first of two games against the Lions, a game that they lost 31-29 on a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. Are the travel and situational factors enough to mitigate what we saw on the field?

They very well could be, so the focus shifts to the present, where the Vikings need a bounce back from Sam Darnold, who is coming off of easily his worst game of the season against the Lions. Prior to that abysmal 18-of-41 showing for just 166 yards, Darnold had an 18/2 TD/INT ratio over his previous seven games, which were all wins.

For the season as a whole, the Vikings are 14th in EPA/play on offense, one spot ahead of the Rams, but with identical EPA marks rounded to 0.038. Defensively, though, Minnesota’s blitz-heavy defense under the guidance of Brian Flores is second and the Rams are 23rd.

If we look from Week 10 until now, the Rams are one spot ahead of the Vikings in EPA/play on offense, but still dramatically behind on defense. Both QBs did play well in this matchup earlier on in the season and may be in line to do so again, as Stafford actually had four touchdown passes in the regular season meeting to tie a season high and his 73.53% completion rate was his third-highest in a game.

Vikings vs. Rams Player Props

Harrison Smith Over 4.5 Tackles + Assists (-135)

Smith wound up with eight tackles, including six solo tackles in the first meeting. Kyren Williams ran 23 times for 97 yards and also had five catches on seven targets. It makes sense that Williams would be a huge part of the gameplan with how often the Vikings like to blitz and I could see a ton of touches for him. I think that makes Smith a focal point on defense from a player prop standpoint.

Vikings vs. Rams Pick

It is hard to know what the venue change means for both teams. Obviously the Rams have been distracted this week with everything going on at home and are sure to be disappointed playing away from Inglewood, but they do play annually in Glendale, so there’s some familiarity, for whatever that’s worth.

But, my focus here is on the total and I like the Over 47.5. Both quarterbacks played well in the first meeting and we have some good weapons at wide receiver, not to mention a couple of quality backs on the fast track in Arizona. We also have two sharp offensive-minded coaches and a guy in Stafford who had a 71% completion rate with a 17/4 TD/INT per Pro-Football-Reference with less than 2.5 seconds in the pocket. I don’t think the blitz will faze him a lot and he’ll be happy to get the ball out quickly and in space with the tools at his disposal.

Bet: Over 47.5

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