Vikings vs. Rams Final Score Prediction for NFL Wild Card Round (Expect a Low-Scoring Affair)

Iain MacMillan | Jan 12, 2025

Bet the UNDER in the NFC Wild Card showdown between the Vikings and Rams. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs. The Rams got the better of the Vikings earlier in the season, beating them by a final score of 30-20.

Will history repeat itself on Monday night, or will the Vikings advance to the Divisional Round?

Let's dive into the latest odds for this game including my final score prediction.

Vikings vs. Rams Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Vikings -1.5 (-108)
• Rams +1.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Vikings -118
• Rams -102

Total

• OVER 47.5 (-112)
• UNDER 47.5 (-108)

The Vikings opened as 2.5-point favorites, but the line has since moved down and now Minnesota is just a slight road favorite at Vikings -1.5. The total has remained steady at 47.5.

Vikings vs. Rams Final Score Prediction

In this week's edition of the "Road to Super Bowl 59", I broke down why I'm betting on this game being a defensive battle:

Sam Darnold's Week 18 performance through me for a loop, so instead of backing either team I'm going to take the UNDER instead, the same bet I made in their regular season matchup when it lost on a last-minute safety.

Despite making the playoffs, offenses have been underwhelming this season. The Vikings and Rams rank 12th and 16th in yards per play as well as 13th and 14th in EPA per play. Another issue they've shared is punching the ball in for a touchdown when they get to the red zone. The Vikings are 19th and the Rams are 25th in red zone offense. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles defense ranks fifth in the red zone, allowing teams to score a touchdown on just 50% of red zone trips.

All of those factors, paired with my lack of faith in Sam Darnold in a big game, led me to bet the UNDER.

If I'm going to predict the final score, I have to pick a winner as well. I'm going to lean toward the Rams, who will be the far more experienced postseason team and also have a win against the Vikings under their belt. It's hard for me to put any faith in Sam Darnold in a big spot.

Final score prediction: Vikings 16, Rams 21

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!