The Final Vikings at Chargers Pick
Each week, we ask a panel of Minnesota Vikings fans for their predictions about the upcoming game, and this time, they’ve gone on record for the Thursday Night Football showdown in Los Angeles.
With just a four-day turnaround, the Vikings will hope to shake off a loss to the Eagles in Los Angeles. And we’ve asked the audience for predictions.
The betting market says Los Angeles by three or four, and we were curious how closely fans would align with Vegas.
Here’s the verdict.
From the People: Predictions for Chargers-Vikings
The purple team must win to avoid a 3-4 standing.
Score Predictions from Fans
Our audience bent heavy on Minnesota when picking this matchup, noting the Chargers’ injuries but also not trusting the purple offense, led by Carson Wentz once again.
Bruce Johnson | @sachikojohnson: MIN Wins, 27-24
Chris | @skol227: MIN Wins, 24-10
Eric Horstman | @ehorstman23, LAC Wins, 24-20
Ivan the Czar | @up4discussion_7: MIN Wins, 40-10
Jens | @rednpurple77: MIN Wins, 20-16
Skol Tom | @SkolFrom WI: LAC Wins, 17-13
Steve Berglund | @VikesIn18: MIN Wins, 27-24
Tadd | @ST7CUbs: MIN Wins, 23-20
Last Sunday, Bruce Johnson most accurately forecasted the Week 7 outcome, picking the Eagles to win by seven. Philadelphia won by six.
Running Standings for Week 7
The guy from Norway — so an actual Viking — continues to lead the way at 5-1.
Jens: 5-1
Eric Horstman: 4-2
Bruce Johnson: 4-2
Ivan, the Czar: 3-3
Skol Tom: 3-3
Steve Berglund: 3-3
Tadd: 3-3
Chris: 2-4
Jens picked Minnesota this week, so at least the most precise prognosticator through seven weeks is on the purple team’s side.
How the Group Calls It on the Whole
Still confident in the team’s coaching staff and evidently not convinced that Los Angeles is much of a powerhouse, our panel has chosen the Vikings to win Thursday Night Football by a score of 24-19.
Aside from our group, some of the fan base have grown antsy in the last week, demanding to see quarterback J.J. McCarthy back under center because many don’t understand the difference between a standard ankle sprain, which can take a week or two to heal, and a high ankle sprain that requires four to six weeks of recuperation. McCarthy is on day No. 38 of his recovery, putting him in line to return next weekend at the Detroit Lions.
From the Rest of the World
CBS Sports‘ Tyler Sullivan leaned toward the Vikings over the Chargers and wrote, “Both of these teams are coming off losses in Week 7, but the matchup does seem to favor Minnesota despite being road dogs. Los Angeles’ defense has a reputation for being a solid unit, but that hasn’t really been the case in 2025. Over the last three weeks, the Chargers are giving up 30.6 points per game, which included a 38-point stomping by the Colts in Week 7.”
“While Carson Wentz did not look great last week against Philadelphia, he has historically played well on Thursday night, owning a 7-0 record in his career. Wentz could also get help from his backfield, headlined by Jordan Mason, with the Chargers giving up 5.1 yards per carry entering Week 8 (fourth-highest in the NFL). Moreover, L.A. has softened after a stellar opening three weeks. Over the last four games, Herbert and Co. are 1-3, and the quarterback has thrown five interceptions.”
SportsNaut‘s Matt Johnson picked Minnesota 20-17 and explained, “It’s difficult to have confidence in either of these teams entering their Week 8 matchup, especially given how surprising many of the Thursday Night Football results have been this season. On one side of the field, we have a Los Angeles Chargers team that is 1-3 in its last four games with a bottom-five defense (0.136 EPA per Play) and an offensive line that is starting multiple backups.”
“On the surface, that would seem like an appealing matchup for the Minnesota Vikings (link to Vikings). However, in the last month, Minnesota has a bottom-10 offense (22nd in EPA per Play), and Carson Wentz will give the Chargers’ defense multiple chances at turnovers. Ultimately, we’re giving the edge to Minnesota because it has the healthier roster and should win the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.”
The Vikings haven’t played against a team led by Jim Harbaugh in 13 years. Harbaugh was hot and heavy in the Minnesota coaching interview process during the 2022 offseason.
You must be logged in to post a comment.