The Philadelphia Eagles will find out their divisional round opponent on Monday night.

The Minnesota Vikings are a 2.5-point favorite to beat the Los Angeles Rams in a game played in Arizona because of the California wildfires.

The Wild Card weekend trend and regular-season results, however, are not on Minnesota’s side.

There was one road favorite in the first five games of the weekend and the Los Angeles Chargers lost by 20 points to the Houston Texans.

Additionally, the Rams already beat the Vikings back in Week 8. That was back in October, when the Vikings were also a 2.5-point favorite going into Los Angeles and they lost the game by 10 points.


Minnesota’s overall point spread trend as a 2.5-point favorite or lower isn’t great either. The Vikings are 3-3 ATS as a favorite smaller than three points.

The same argument using trends against Minnesota to cover can be utilized against the Rams as well as a short underdog.

Sean McVay’s team is 2-4 ATS as an underdog of three or fewer points. One of those covers came against Minnesota on 10/24, but the overall trend is not in its favor.

Los Angeles’ more damning trend is unders when the total closed above 47 points. The Rams are 7-3 to the under in those instances. Minnesota is 3-2 to the under when the total closed above 47. Monday’s over/under is set at 47.5.

While the trends suggest the under is definitely in play, there might be some room to take advantage of when it comes to player props.

Minnesota allowed 386 total yards to the Rams in Week 8 and just let up 394 total yards to the Lions in Week 18 with the NFC North on the line.

The Rams let up over 300 total yards in seven of their last eight games as well, so while the trends are in favor of the under, the defensive statistics suggest both teams will at least move the ball into field-goal range.

If that’s the case, everyone will look to Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua props. Nacua is set at over/under 92.5 receiving yards, while Jefferson’s prop sits at 90.5.

Both players eclipsed the 100-yard mark in Week 8, so there’s justification to bet their overs, or play them in a Same Game Parlay ladder at 80, 90 or 100+ receiving yards.

It’s worth noting that neither Jefferson nor Nacua scored in Week 8. Josh Oliver, Kyren Williams, Trent Sherfield, Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson twice found the end zone in that game.

Robinson and Tyler Higbee are the best long shot touchdown props to take inside the Rams offense. Robinson has been a red-zone target all season long and Higbee is being worked back into the offense after a long injury layoff.

The Vikings do not have many true long-shot options in terms of touchdown odds because Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson reside in the offense.

If you’re thinking of betting this game with PA sports betting apps or NJ betting apps, I would, look to Addison for DraftKings’ “King of the End Zone” promotion in which you win a share of bonus bets if you bet on the longest touchdown scorer. Everyone will be on Jefferson or Nacua, but Addison provides you with enough of a contrarian target with a high usage rate to be trusted in that spot.

FanDuel is offering a No Sweat Same Game Parlay. I would look into Jefferson & Nacua to have 80+ receiving yards, Cooper Kupp 50+ receiving yards and Addison 40+ receiving yards to get you to +500 to fit the requirements of 3+ legs and +400 or longer. I expect plenty of passing and each team loves to go with their top two targets.