We are nearly at the halfway point of the NFL season. Week 8 has already arrived and the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams are set to square off on Thursday Night to kick off the set of games.
Minnesota snapped their undefeated start to the season last week in a 31-29 loss to the Lions. They now sit at 5-1 on the season and are tied for the divisional lead in the NFC North. The Vikings rank sixth in scoring on the season and also have allowed the sixth-fewest points.
The story of the season for the Rams has been injuries. Star pass catchers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have been on the field for just three games combined so far this year. There is hope for both Kupp and Nacua to return to the field this week which would provide a necessary spark to the offense. So far this season, the Rams are just 2-4 and rank 23rd in scoring. While the season is not completely lost yet, Los Angeles will need to continue riding the momentum of last week’s victory.
Minnesota enters the matchup as 2.5-point favorites and -155 favorites on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rams are considered +130 underdogs with the over/under set at 48 points.
We have plenty of articles on the site for the game outlook, DFS and Pick6 breakdowns, so here’s a look at some of the most intriguing player props ahead of Thursday night’s matchup.
Matt Stafford Over 237.5 Passing Yards (-115)
It has been a slow start to the season for Matt Stafford. The former Super Bowl champion ranks 11th in completion percentage, 15th in passing yards, and 31st in passing touchdowns. He has thrown just three passing touchdowns so far this season, with his lack of weapons being a driving force of this.
With his wide receiver duo set to return to the field in the short-term, expect Matt Stafford to return to form as well. Even with the early season struggles, Stafford is still averaging 232 passing yards per game and has thrown for over 237.5 passing yards twice. Stafford also has thrown for more than 237.5 yards per game on average in 11 different seasons during his NFL career.
Minnesota started the season strong, but its defense has shown some recent signs of weakness. Through their first six games, Minnesota now ranks 30th in passing yards allowed and 26th in passing touchdowns given up. Stafford is plenty capable of picking apart a defense if he is given the opportunity and if he gets one or both of his star pass-catchers back that would be a massive boost. Expect Stafford to return to his typical form and eclipse 237.5 passing yards for the third time this season.
Kyren Williams Over 73.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
While Stafford has had some struggles early on this season, Kyren Williams has shined. The former Notre Dame standout is tied with Derrick Henry for the most rushing touchdowns with eight on the season, while Henry has played one more game due to the Rams’ bye. Williams has received 16 or more touches in every game thus far and is averaging 72.7 rushing yards per game on the year.
Minnesota has been effective in stopping the run thus far, ranking second in rushing yards allowed, but are coming off their worst performance thus far as the Lions ran for 144 yards against them last week. While he has been forced into the focal point of the offense thus far, Williams would benefit from the return of the star pass catchers as some running lanes should open further.
Expect the most balanced attack we have seen from Los Angeles to occur in this game but for Williams to still see plenty of action. He has eclipsed 73.5 rushing yards in each of the past four games and has not had fewer than 19 carries in any of these games. Even more impressive, Williams has had this production without breaking a run for more than 30 yards so far this season. Expect him to get his usual workload and to record over 73.5 rushing yards for the fifth consecutive game.
Justin Jefferson Over 84.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
One of the biggest surprises to start this season has been the high level of play by Sam Darnold. The former third-overall pick climbed into the early MVP conversations throwing for 1,370 yards and 12 touchdowns through his first six games. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of this has been Justin Jefferson.
While Jefferson is more “quarterback-proof” than some of the other elite wide receivers (*cough Tyreek Hill), the production from the passer still impacts the wide receiver heavily. The three-time Pro Bowl wideout has not missed a beat with Darnold and he has tallied 33 receptions for 531 yards and five touchdowns through the opening six games. He has not been held to fewer than 81 yards since the opening week and has eclipsed the 84.5-yard margin in three of the six games overall.
Heading into this matchup, the Rams passing defense is a vulnerability Minnesota will look to expose. They are not the fearful unit they once were and rank 18th in passing yards allowed and 26th in passing touchdowns given up. Minnesota is also 29th in net yards per passing attempt. In his lone matchup with the Rams in his career, Jefferson tallied eight receptions for 116 yards.
Expect Jefferson to remain to driving force of the offense and get the ball thrown his way plenty. It can take just one catch for Jefferson to change the game entirely. Expect him to eclipse 85 receiving yards again this week.
Kyren Williams 10+ Rushing Yards in Each Quarter (+220)
A bit of an outside-the-box play here but I like the +220 juice on Kyren Williams to record 10+ rushing yards in every quarter. He is a staple of the offense and receives equal opportunity throughout the game. Looking at the rushing splits so far this year, Williams has recorded 25 carries in the first quarter, 33 carries in the second quarter, 33 carries in the third quarter, and 25 carries in the fourth quarter.
This is a bit of a risky bet as just one quarter without reaching 10+ yards ruins it. But Williams has run for 230 yards in the first half and 206 yards in the second half with the season as a whole. His best production per carry is 5.1 in the first quarter but there is not a full fall off as 3.1 yards per carry in the second quarter is his worst figure there.
Have a little fun with this one and expect Williams to receive opportunities in all four quarters of this Thursday Night matchup. The Rams have leaned on him heavily this year and this should not be expected to change. Look for him to produce at least 10 yards in each quarter and take advantage of the +220 odds on DraftKings.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
