A pair of old friends meet in a new venue on Monday night, when the Minnesota Vikings meet the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL wild-card playoff round.
While the game could angle to be the weekend’s best, there’s something of a dark cloud hanging over the matchup: The game was moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, regular home of the Arizona Cardinals, as the greater Los Angeles area continues to fight wildfires that have ravaged the region.
The Rams might feel at least a little bit more comfortable in Arizona, given the Cardinals are an NFC West opponent. Sean McVay, head coach of the NFC West champs, might feel especially comfortable facing off against a former protégé: McVay and the Rams got the better of the
in Week 8, when L.A. took a stunning 30-20 win on “Thursday Night Football.”
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Outside of that blemish, it’s been just about all good for the Vikings. Coach Kevin O’Connell has worked wonders this season, specifically with quarterback Sam Darnold. After the loss of rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy during the preseason, a revitalized and effective Darnold helped guide the Vikings to a 14-3 record, which would have been good for first place if not for the 15-2 Detroit Lions.
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It’s teacher vs. student Monday night in a wild-card showdown. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the NFL playoff matchup below.
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Rams vs. Vikings start time
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)
The Rams and Vikings both travel for their playoff matchup, as the squads will square off in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The Rams would have hosted the playoff game in SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) if the game wasn’t moved.
What channel is Rams vs. Vikings?
- TV channel: ABC and ESPN | ESPN2
ESPN is the broadcast home of the Rams vs. Vikings playoff game. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call with Lisa Salters patrolling the sidelines.
There will be a “Manningcast” on ESPN2 for tonight’s game, the last of the 2024 NFL season.
Rams vs. Vikings predictions, picks
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Rams vs. Vikings matchup will play out:
- Lorenzo Reyes: Vikings 27, Rams 20
- Tyler Dragon: Vikings 28, Rams 25
- Jordan Mendoza: Vikings 26, Rams 23
Rams vs. Vikings live stream
- Live stream: Fubo | ESPN+
For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
Fans who prefer to stream Rams vs. Vikings can also do so with a subscription to ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN+.
Stream the”Monday Night Football”game on Fubo
Rams vs. Vikings odds, moneyline, over/under
The Vikings are favorites to defeat the Rams, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
- Spread: Vikings (-1.5)
- Moneyline: Vikings (-125); Rams (+105)
- Over/under: 47
Rams vs. Vikings best bets
Looking to make the Rams-Vikings wild-card matchup a bit more interesting? Here are some of the best bets for the game:
Vikings inactives vs. Rams
- QB Daniel Jones
- DL Levi Drake Rodriguez
- C Dan Feeney
- OT Walter Rouse
- LB Pat Jones II
➤ Daniel Jones is QB3 in first game on active roster
Rams inactives vs. Vikings
- QB Stetson Bennett
- WR Tyler Johnson
- CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
- LB Brennan Jackson
- OL Justin Dedich
- OL Joe Noteboom
Who will winner of Rams vs. Vikings play next?
The winner of tonight’s wild-card matchup between the Rams and Vikings will advance to the divisional round and play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. ET.
Updated NFL playoff bracket
AFC
NFC
Monday night’s game between the Rams and Vikings will determine the final spot in the NFC’s divisional round.
➤ NFL playoff bracket: See the divisional matchups, schedule
NFL divisional round schedule
AFC
NFC
Upcoming NFL playoff schedule
- Divisional round: Jan. 18-19
- Conference championships: Jan. 26
- Super Bowl 59: Feb. 9
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Where is Rams vs. Vikings?
The game was initially slated to take place at SoFi Stadium, home to the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, but was moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
➤ Has NFL ever moved a playoff game before? LA wildfires puts Rams-Vikings on exclusive list
➤ Ranking NFL’s stadiums from 1 to 30: Where does State Farm Stadium rate?
Why is Rams vs. Vikings being played in Arizona?
The Rams vs. Vikings game is being played in Arizona because of the ongoing deadly wildfires in Los Angeles County.
The fires began Tuesday, and the Palisades Fire has already become the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history, scorching over 23,000 acres of land, according to reporting from USA TODAY’s Susan Miller, Josh Peter, Adrianna Rodriguez and Thao Nguyen. The Palisades Fire was 14% contained as of Monday. A total of 24 people have died because of the fires with the death toll likely to increase, per California governor Gavin Newsom.
The ongoing blazes led the NFL to announce Thursday it was relocating the game to Arizona “in the interest of public safety.”
Rams vs. Vikings stats, history
Minnesota and Los Angeles have faced each other 48 times in total, and the Vikings hold an edge in their head-to-head record: 27 wins for them, 19 for the Rams and two ties.
The Rams and Vikings also have a storied history of playoff matchups with seven of them in total. Minnesota holds a 5-2 edge in those meetings. The first postseason clashes between the two teams date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when both teams were consistently duking it out as the top two teams in the NFC. It’s been a while since their last playoff meeting, when the Rams won, 49-37, in the 1999 divisional round.
Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
The Vikings have made four Super Bowl appearances, but have yet to win a Lombardi Trophy. Minnesota’s last Super Bowl appearance came in Super Bowl XI during the 1976 season.
The Rams have played in five Super Bowls — winning two, most recently Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
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