setting up the Wild Card Game

from https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/vikings-vs-rams-expert-predictions-nfl-wild-card-weekend-2012810

The Rams handed the Vikings one of their three losses this season and were the only non-Detroit Lions team to beat Minnesota.

The Rams had an incredible bounce back in 2024 after starting the season 1-4. The Vikings had an unbelievable season in their first year with quarterback Sam Darnold at the helm, and enter the playoffs as one of the most dangerous teams.

The Rams’ last playoff win came during the 2021 season when they went all the way to the Super Bowl and beat the Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings’ last playoff win came in 2019. Here’s how the staff expects this game to shake out.

* Matt Levine: This game has been moved to Arizona due to the wildfires in Los Angeles but the Rams should still feel at home. Los Angeles has battled all year with injuries but they’ve found different ways to overcome it all. The Vikings are favored considering they won 14 games this season, but Los Angeles has all the experience. Matthew Stafford elevates his game in the postseason and will help the Rams gain another big playoff win.

Prediction: Rams 26, Vikings 23

* Noah Camras: The NFL saved arguably the best for last with two teams capable of making a Super Bowl run facing off on Monday night primetime. The Vikings were one of the best teams in the league this season and just missed out on a first-round bye. The Rams were one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season, and had the postseason experience to get a big win. In the end, though, the Vikings will be too much for L.A. to handle, and they’ll move on to the Divisional Round and keep their dream season alive.

Prediction: Vikings 27, Rams 24

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from https://www.vikings.com/news/nfl-expert-picks-wild-card-rams-opinions-divided

* Rams 28, Vikings 24 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

The Vikings didn’t play well in the Sunday night loss to the Lions that cost them a chance at the No. 1 seed. Now they face a Rams team that rested a lot of key players last week. Sam Darnold needs to respond after a poor showing last week. The problem is the Rams defensive front can get after him. Matthew Stafford will be challenged by the Brian Flores defense, but I think he will make enough plays to pull off the upset.

In Week 8, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 at home. The referees missed a facemask infraction late in the game, but the Vikings needed a late touchdown drive to potentially tie up the score anyway.

The Rams pressured Sam Darnold in that contest, sacking him three times, and limited the Vikings explosive plays over the top. Los Angeles may have the blueprint to slow down Minnesota’s ninth-ranked scoring offense.

* However, [Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent] Sobleski picked the Vikings to flip the script on the Rams in this Monday Night Football matchup.

“When the Vikings traveled to the Los Angeles Rams in October, [Rams Head Coach] Sean McVay and Company emerged victorious,” Sobleski said. “Aside from the Detroit Lions, the Rams are the only team to have beaten Minnesota so far this season. An asterisk needs to be placed on that win, though.

“The game was on Thursday Night Football, four days after the Vikings faced the Lions. Meanwhile, the Rams hosted the Las Vegas Raiders the previous Sunday. Los Angeles caught Minnesota at exactly the right time,” Sobleski added. “Many will bet that history can repeat itself after the Vikings lost to the Lions in Week 18, whereas the Rams got to rest their stars. But the Vikings, who were clearly the better squad throughout the season, now have extra time to prepare with the game being on Monday. Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell knows McVay as well as anyone in the game. It’s difficult to envision the Vikings faltering the same way twice.”

* Rams 28, Vikings 27 – Bill Bender, Sporting News

Here is the “upset” of the week. The Rams are home underdogs against a Minnesota team coming off a brutal loss against the Lions. Los Angeles beat Minnesota 30-20 in Week 8. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua combined for 12 catches for 157 yards and a TD in that game. Matthew Stafford had consistent home-road splits this season, and the Rams can win another close game here.

How will Sam Darnold respond after a brutal Week 18 performance against the Lions? This is his first playoff start, and it will be heavily scrutinized. The Rams were 3-3 as an underdog of four points or less this season, and we think they will generate just enough against the Vikings second-ranked run defense to spring the upset.

* Vikings 20, Rams 17 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Vikings lost to only two teams this season, the Lions (twice) and Rams. Before falling in Week 18 in Detroit, they lost back-to-back to Detroit and Los Angeles in Weeks 7 and 8. The Vikings just struggled playing all-out with Sam Darnold, while the Rams still looked good resting Matthew Stafford and other starters. That said, the Rams offense is a bigger issue than their defense in the second matchup, and this surprise low-scoring game will go to the savvier group in the rematch.

* 2 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

* 6 of 10 experts (1 had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN

* 2 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report

3 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic