Inside The Vikings

Vikings-Rams moving to Arizona shifts line slightly in Minnesota's favor

The Vikings are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Rams on Monday night.
Will Ragatz|
Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) runs the ball ahead of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner (91) during the second half at SoFi Stadium.
Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) runs the ball ahead of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner (91) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings-Rams playoff game being moved to Arizona due to the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles was an unfortunately necessary decision. For reasons related to air quality, infrastructure, and allocation of emergency personnel, among others, it no longer made sense for the game to take place in LA as scheduled.

One side effect of the move is that, at least on paper, the Rams lose most of the competitive advantage that comes with having a home playoff game. SoFi Stadium has been overrun by visiting fans in the past, but there was data that indicated the home crowd was going to be strong on Monday night had the game remained in LA. Now that it's at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, it's a safe bet that the number of Vikings fans in the crowd will be significantly higher than it would've been at SoFi.

Rams fans got first crack at buying tickets on Friday, but not everyone in LA who would've gone to the game will be able to make the trip east to the Phoenix area. And there are quite a few Vikings fans based in Arizona, whether they live there year-round or just during the winters.

In related news, the betting line has moved from Vikings -1 or 1.5 to Vikings -2.5 (as of Friday morning) as a result of the change in the game's location. In addition to the anticipated difference in crowd makeup, the Rams lose the comfort and routine of playing at their home stadium. It's unfortunate for them, as they earned a home game within the NFL's playoff structure by winning the NFC West. But they did win four fewer regular season games than the Vikings, so there's a broader argument that could be had about which team "deserved" to host this one.

It's just the second time in NFL history that a non-Super Bowl playoff game will be held at a venue other than the home team's stadium. The first one happened almost 90 years ago, when the 1936 NFL Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Boston Redskins was moved to New York due to low ticket sales in Boston.

Ultimately, the location feels like a very minor factor in what should be a competitive game between two good teams. The Vikings are looking to keep their season alive and get revenge for their 30-20 loss to the Rams in LA in October. With great coaches and plenty of talent on both sides, this one has a strong chance to come down to a single play or two.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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