Our Official Prediction: Vikings at Rams 👀

Dustin Baker |

Oct 22, 2024

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay with offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell. O'Connell left the Rams in 2022 after a winning a Super Bowl in Los Angeles in 2021 and took over the Minnesota Vikings as head coach.

The VikingsTerritory collective staff prediction for the Minnesota Vikings at the Los Angeles Rams is in.

Our Official Prediction: Vikings at Rams 👀

Minnesota lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 7 by a score of 31-29, the club’s first of 2024 and one that sunk them to second place in the NFC North.

This weekend, the Vikings travel to Los Angeles for a date with the Rams, a matchup featuring head coach Kevin O’Connell versus his former employer.

The writers at VikingsTerritory predict Minnesota will win its sixth game of the season.

Prediction — Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (40) react near the end of the game during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

Writers unanimously chose the Vikings, evidently confident that the Vikings’ early-season success is fully sustainable.

Here’s how the panel sees the score for Week 8:

Dustin Baker: Vikings Win, 41-21
Brevan Bane: Vikings Win, 36-13
Sean Borman: Vikings Win, 24-18
Janik Eckardt: Vikings Win, 27-17
Josh Frey: Vikings Win, 20-17
Henrique Gucciardi: Vikings Win, 27-12
Wes Johnson: Vikings Win, 34-20
Kyle Joudry: Vikings Win, 31-17
Adam New: Vikings Win, 30-19
Ted Schwerzler: Vikings Win, 28-14
Ali Siddiqui: Vikings Win, 27-20
Cole Smith: Vikings Win, 27-14

Mathematically en masse, we predict the Vikings will top the Rams by a score of 30-17.

Oct 16, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (18) enter the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

And 2024 season standings for our writers’ predictions:

Henrique Gucciardi: 5-1
Wes Johnson: 5-1
Kyle Joudry: 5-1
Ted Schwerzler: 5-1
Brevan Bane: 4-2
Josh Frey: 4-2
Ali Siddiqui: 4-2
Cole Smith: 4-2
Dustin Baker: 3-3
Sean Borman: 3-3
Janik Eckardt: 3-3
Adam New: 2-4

Jordan Addison Still — Apr 27, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; USC wide receiver Jordan Addison reacts after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings twenty third overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports. | Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

In Week 7, Kyle Joudry and Sean Borman most accurately predicted the outcome of Vikings-Lions. They forecasted a three-point loss for Minnesota, and Detroit won by two.

The Vikings are favored to prevail by three points against the Rams, and if so, Minnesota would snap a two-game losing skid versus Los Angeles.

Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) walks off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

Sporting News picked the Vikings over the Rams, too, 24-20. “The Vikings’ defense did its best to recover from having its toughest game of the season with a big play, but they need to be wary of the blitz again given how well Matthew Stafford does against it. He also has Cooper Kupp (ankle) ready to return to help. Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson, however, can have more success together for former Sean McVay assistant Kevin O’Connell, and Brian Flores’ unit will still force a key takeaway or two late..” SN’s Vinnie Iyer wrote.

The Vikings lead the all-time series over the Rams, with a 27-18-2 (.596) record.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.