It’s an NFL Wild Card edition of Monday Night Football. DraftKings Sportsbook has all the action to make this already special game even more exciting. The NFC West Champion Rams host the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings in Glendale, Arizona. Check out the best bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the final NFL Wild Card Weekend matchup.
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Minnesota Vikings -2.5 (-108)
The Vikings won 14 games. Their reward wasn’t a first-round bye and/or home-field advantage in the playoffs. It’s an NFL Wild Card Weekend road game. It’s a Monday Night Football matchup against a rowdy prime-time crowd—or is it? The initial draw wasn’t great, but life changes fast. The tragic California Wildfires forced the NFL to relocate this game to Arizona. No one wants to say it out loud, but this is a big break for the Vikings. It’s not just the location. The Rams have a lot on their minds. They want to represent their city during hard times, but it’s hard to prepare for a football game when your home is on fire. The spread favored the Vikings by a point before the relocation. The line increased to 2.5 and could move further.
The Rams have been closers. Sean McVay’s teams turn it on late in the season. After a 1-4 start, the Rams went 9-3 before conceding their Week 18 contest. The Rams have a quarterback with plenty of weapons at his disposal. Their offensive line is above-average and healthy. The defense lacks brand names because they’re young and play as a unit. The names could be known soon. Their pass rush sacked Sam Darnold three times in their Week 7 win. He was pressured a season-high 37.9%. The only box unchecked is the home game.
The Vikings won 14 games. Plain and simple. They have a top-five defense that has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards. Their pass defense is the opposite in terms of yards. The 4,114 passing yards allowed is the fifth-most but much of that is situational. Good offenses force opponents to pass. The Vikings were above-average at limiting passing touchdowns and their 24 interceptions led the NFL by a wide margin. That’s not all. The Vikings are sixth in quarterback pressure rate and fourth in sacks. Their offense is just as explosive. The 14 wins are deserved. Monday will be their 15th.
Aaron Jones 60+ Rushings Yards (-110)
The Vikings lost their first matchup against the Rams this season. Interestingly enough, Sam Darnold earned his second-highest QB Rating of the season in the 10-point loss (128.7 QB Rating). He was efficient but constantly under duress. A balanced offensive attack will be necessary to move the chains. Darnold is the same Darnold. He holds the ball too long, but his weapons and line in Minnesota bail him out. OC Wes Phillips and HC Kevin O’Connell can bail out Darnold with a rush-first game plan.
Keeping the ball on the ground always makes sense. It’s even more important in playoff games. Games with equally matched top-tier teams are often decided by turnovers. That’s usually the case and has been so far in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. A conservative Vikings’ approach makes sense on another level. The Rams have an elite pass rush but struggle against the run. Los Angeles ranks in the bottom third of the NFL in Defensive Rush DVOA and Adjusted Line Yards. On top of that, Rams defenders must turn much of their attention to the Vikings’ game-breaking pass catchers. Los Angeles can’t load up the box.
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