NFL Week 16: Vikings vs. Rams Preview and Odds

It is do-or-die for the Minnesota Vikings today in their Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, if they wish to stay in the running for the playoffs that is. Last week was not a great performance by the Vikings against the Chicago Bears, but they got the job done.

With three games left to play, the Vikings are in control of their own destiny but there are still a lot of factors to go.

To make the playoffs, the Vikings will need to win two of their three final league games, including wins against two NFC playoff hopefuls. Today, they face-off against the LA Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Rams have not been the most consistent team this season but are at 10-4 and they are in contention for the NFC West title.

The Vikings’ Road to the off-season was hit with a major roadblock after Dalvin Cook was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He is an unvaccinated player that has tested positive for COVID.

Minnesota should be able to recover for Cook, as Alexander Mattison has been great on the run and the Vikings are 3-1 when he starts.

There are a ton of great matchups today, but the main event will be Jalen Ramsey against Justin Jefferson.

This season, these players have been talked about as being the best at their position. Many people think that Ramsey may neutralize Jefferson, but Jefferson is an incredible receiver and Kirk Cousins should use him as much as possible.

It will be a long game for the Vikings’ offensive line as they have the task of taking on Aaron Donald. The Rams’ star put on a show two weeks ago against the Arizona Cardinals with 14 QB pressures, which helped get the Rams back on the NFC title race.

NFL Betting

The pre-game odds have been locked in at bet365 Sports, as the bookmaker has yet again generated competitive markets for punters. The Rams are the favorites to win tonight at 1.58, while the Vikings have some catching up to do at 2.50. There will also be live in-play odds available throughout all four quarters of NFL action.

The odds in this article at the bookmaker mentioned above were accurate at the time of writing on Sunday, December 26 at 9:00 GMT.