NFL Week 8 betting kicks off in La-La Land when the Minnesota Vikings invade SoFi Stadium for a showdown with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
This game total sits at 48 points and both sides have talented skill players, which has the anytime touchdown odds spread a little thin at the top of the board. There are five players priced below +200, including three guys ranging from -180 to -115 to find the end zone.
I measure up Minnesota and L.A. and see where we can find an edge in those popular anytime touchdown markets, giving my best Vikings vs. Rams predictions and NFL picks for October 24.
Rams anytime touchdown pick
Cooper Kupp anytime touchdown
+125 at FanDuel
The trade rumors are swirling around SoFi Stadium like the Santa Anas and at the center of them is Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp.
Kupp, who returns from injury on Thursday having last played in Week 2, would be a huge add for any team looking to make a postseason push. The former Super Bowl MVP could boost his trade stock with a solid showing against the Minnesota Vikings, especially if he can crack the goal line.
The matchup looks good for Kupp, facing a Minnesota secondary that almost exclusively plays zone. He’s among the best WRs in the NFL at finding gaps in that zone coverage, and when he’s on the field, he’s Matthew Stafford’s first look on red-zone snaps.
What’s more, Sean McVay moves Kupp around in the offense, including plenty of snaps in the slot. The Vikings pass defense has started to crumble over the past three outings – allowing the third-most yardage in that span – and is susceptible to quality slot receivers. Minnesota has allowed the second-most average fantasy points to slot WRs this year.
Stafford will be trying to get rid of the ball quickly against Minnesota’s blitz-happy schemes, which suits Kupp as an elite route runner on short and intermediate playcalls. He’s also great at picking up yards after the catch (65 of his total 147 yards coming from YAC), facing a Vikes’ defense allowing the 11th most YAC.
Touchdown projections sit between 0.4 and 0.5 TDs for Kupp in his return to play and going back to the 2021 season, he’s hit paydirt in 54% of his regular season games. That puts us pretty close to his touchdown anytime pricing at +125.
Vikings anytime touchdown pick
Ty Chandler anytime touchdown
+310 at FanDuel
Entering Week 8, Minnesota RB1 Aaron Jones was nursing a tender hamstring. While his name is no longer on the Vikings’ injury report, anyone who’s pulled a hammy knows that type of injury doesn’t just go away.
Given the short week, Kevin O’Connell could protect this top rusher from further injury by spreading the workload down the depth chart. That makes RB Ty Chandler a live option to find the end zone tonight.
Chandler proved he was solid in relief of Jones earlier this season and faces a poor Rams run defense. While Los Angeles has stiffened against the pass, it’s still ranking among the poorest run stop units in the land.
The Rams are 28th in EPA allowed per carry and have watched running backs score six touchdowns so far in 2024. The L.A. front seven is also banged up on the short week, with LB Troy Reeder out (third most tackles on team) while DE Braden Fiske is questionable.
As my Covers colleague Jared Hochman points out in his Week 8 player props (Chandler Over 19.5 rushing yards), coaches have leaned into the backups on the short weeks, more specifically visitors on Thursday Night Football.
Excluding Week 1 and Week 6 (an RB1 injury skews RB2 stats), the road team's RB2 averages 6.2 carries and 31.2 yards in the other five TNF games, with 29-plus yards in four of those five primetime games.
Chandler’s player projections call for between 0.1 and 0.3 touchdowns tonight, which doesn’t take into account Jones’ aching legs. That gives his “TD anytime” price of +310 a little extra zing.
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