The Los Angeles Rams will host the Minnesota Vikings to kick off week four of the NFL season. This could be a playoff preview as both teams are expected to be a playoff team in the NFC. Both teams feature talented offenses and have had success in recent years.
The Rams come into this game with a 3-0 record and have not really been challenged yet this season. Los Angeles leads the NFL in points against, giving up just 12.0 points per game, while also ranking in the top-3 with a scoring average of 34.0 points per game. The Vikings have had an interesting start to the 2018 season. They beat the 49ers, tied the Green Bay Packers, and then were blown out by the Buffalo Bills. The Rams are a 6.5 point favorite over the Vikings on Thursday night.
Rams Feature Trio Of Top Receivers
The Los Angeles Rams offense has been on a roll this season, and it’s largely due to their talented trio of receivers. Cooper Kupp, Brandin Cooks, and Robert Woods are all averaging more than eleven yards per reception this season, and the trio has made life easy for quarterback Jared Goff. With other teams trying to stop running back Todd Gurley, the Rams have done plenty of damage through the air this season.
The Rams defense has also played well this season, but they could be without both Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters in this game. Both cornerbacks were injured in the week three victory over the Chargers. Los Angeles has given up just over 900 yards of total offense this season and will look to slow down a talented Vikings offense in this game.
Vikings Need More Balanced Offensive Attack
The Minnesota Vikings offense made NFL history in their week three loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings ran the ball just six times for 14 yards tying the record for the fewest rushing attempts by a team in a single game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball 55 times in week three, but only threw for 296 yards. Minnesota will need to find more balance against a terrific Rams defense.
The Vikings were the best defensive team in the NFL last season, but they haven’t found the same success in 2018. Minnesota has given up an average of 24.0 points per game this season, and let rookie quarterback Josh Allen dominate them in week three. The Vikings defense faces an even bigger challenge against the Rams on Thursday night.
Rams Improve to 4-0
This was supposed to be a matchup of two of the top teams in the NFL, but only the Rams have held up their end of the bargain so far. The Vikings offense was a no-show last weekend against the Bills, and their strong defense got torn apart. Minnesota needs to get their running game going in this one.
The Los Angeles Rams have destroyed their opponents this season, and that trend should continue in this game. The Vikings defense will keep the game close for awhile, but the Rams will eventually break through. The Rams simply have too much talent to lose this game. Bet the Los Angeles Rams -6.5 over the Vikings on Thursday night.
