Vikings vs. Rams Same Game Parlay Picks for Today

by Joe Cistaro (joeycis) Last Updated 2024-10-24 15:03:07

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Before the season began, fans and bettors could have complained that this was a typical hammer versus nail scenario for Thursday Night Football. However, nobody would have predicted the Minnesota Vikings would have been the hammer. Even after a loss, the Vikings look like a true playoff contender, while injuries have the Rams reeling. Cooper Kupp will return for Thursday night. Will that be enough?

Check out our Same Game Parlay Guide before we break down tonight’s game and build a same game parlay for Thursday Night Football.

Vikings vs. Rams Same Game Parlay Preview

On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Vikings are 2.5-point road favorites. With an incredible defense complemented by an explosive offense, the Vikings are favored to rebound after a tough loss against Detroit. At home, the Rams hope their offense can improve with the return of Kupp. Both football teams can move the football; sports betting sites anticipate points.

DraftKings has tonight’s implied game total at 48 points. ScoresAndOdds suggests that this game total might be aggressive. More than 60% of bets and dollars reside on the under, coming in after the total moved up a point. The influx of betting action likely held the number at 48 points after an initial surge on the over. Will the Rams efficiency improve with the return of Kupp? The Vikings showed they can score points in bunches during their run. The Rams defense has struggled out of the gates.

The Rams will return Kupp for this game, as he was removed from the injury report and will be a full go. Thursday morning brought a report from Tom Pelissero that Puka Nacua could play against the Vikings. The Rams offense could be at full strength, facing a defense that continues to stymie opponents under the guidance of Brian Flores.

For the Vikings, Aaron Jones was removed from the injury report with his hamstring injury. Jones took 14 carries for more than 90 yards against the Lions and out-carried Ty Chandler 14-2. Jones is unquestionably the lead back in Minnesota and will get a full workload when healthy. The Rams allowed a 25th-worst 4.7 yards per rush attempt to opposing offenses. In every game Jones had 10 or more carries in 2024, he exceeded 90 rushing yards.

The Vikings defense ranks in the top 10 in yards per pass attempt. However, the same passing defense has allowed the 4th-most yards to the WR position. Kupp could see a massive workload in his return as rumors swirl about Kupp potentially being traded. While the Rams might want to protect him, potential suitors need to see he is healthy before trading for the talented receiver. Puka Nacua potentially playing adds a wrinkle for prop-betting. If Nacua is active, Kupp will not assume as many opportunities as he did when Nacua was first injured.

Sam Darnold has been a welcome surprise for Minnesota. When J.J. McCarthy was hurt, the doom and gloom clouded Minnesota as Kirk Cousins moved to Atlanta. Darnold has quieted those worries with strong play at the quarterback position. With plenty of playmakers around him, Darnold continues to make good decisions while also making plays downfield. Darnold could see another weapon return as T.J. Hockenson is nearing his return from the PUP list and is listed as questionable.

The Vikings are very likely to attack the Rams on the ground and let their defense attack Matt Stafford. The Vikings rank top 10 in sack percentage while the Rams are bottom-third in protecting Matt Stafford. The Rams could opt to feed Kyren Williams, but the Vikings rank 5th in yards per rushing attempt on defense. Williams will struggle to find room.

This has the feel of a bounce-back spot for a Minnesota team poised for a playoff run. Let’s look through props to see what DraftKings has to offer for Thursday Night Football.

Same Game Parlay Picks for Vikings vs. Rams

Aaron Jones Over 69.5 Rushing Yards
Cooper Kupp Over 6.5 Receptions
Sam Darnold Under 21.5 Completions

Aaron Jones Over 69.5 Rushing Yards

While Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and potentially T.J. Hockenson could get all of the acclaim against a struggling defense, Jones should be the playmaker that Minnesota leans on. The Vikings are the better football team and should play with a lead. He is the perfect complement to a great defense.

Jones exceeded 90 yards in every game he carried the football at least 10 times. Ty Chandler seems completely phased out of the game plan, barring an injury to Jones. Jones should see double-digit carries and then some against a Rams defense that struggles to stop running backs.

I think the Vikings will bounce back. As such, I think Jones will be heavily involved. I don’t mind adding a touchdown for Jones against the Rams.

Cooper Kupp Over 6.5 Receptions

The Thursday morning update about Puka Nacua seemed to lower the juice on Kupp’s receptions prop. At the time of this writing, the vig on this prop is -110. I am jumping on the over before we get late news that Nacua won’t play.

Puka very well could play, and Kupp might still beat this number. The Rams should be throwing against the Vikings for two reasons — Los Angeles is likely playing from behind and the Vikings shut down the running game. If Nacua is announced inactive ahead of the game, Kupp should see more targets than he hopes for and the vig on this prop will skyrocket.

I am going to include him now and hope for a favorable news update.

Sam Darnold Under 21.5 Completions

Finally, with my belief that the Vikings will bounce back against a struggling Rams team, I think the Vikings limit Darnold. I don’t think they limit him because they don’t believe in him. I think they limit his throws because they won’t need them.

Darnold has only exceeded this number once. That happened in a loss last weekend to the Lions. The formula for the Vikings is clear. Play great defense. Jump to an early lead. Let Darnold make plays when he needs to. Otherwise, protect the football and run. With Jones healthy, I don’t think he will be throwing a ton.

This same game parlay correlates well with a Vikings moneyline or spread victory. If you include the victory, you might get a boost because of the Darnold under.