Two 2024 playoff teams having uneven seasons kick off Week 8 on Thursday Night Football as the Minnesota Vikings (3-3) visit the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3). The Bolts are -3.5 with a total of 44.5 for the typical 8:15 ET kick on Prime Video. There are are no weather concerns at SoFi Stadium.
Los Angeles has hit a rough patch, losing three of four after being in command of the AFC West early on and up a few games on perennial division winner Kansas City. Now both are tied for second behind Denver. The Bolts' four-game ATS losing streak is the longest of Jim Harbaugh's NFL head coaching career dating to his San Francisco days.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, meanwhile, resuscitated the career of former draft bust Sam Darnold in 2024, and he might be doing the same with 32-year-old Carson Wentz this year. Wentz has played well for the most part in J.J. McCarthy's absence. Even if McCarthy were healthy, it would have been perhaps silly not to start Wentz considering he's 7-0 in his career on Thursday night, the most wins on that day by any NFL signal-caller without a loss this century.
Minnesota has alternated wins and losses over its past six, which puts its last in the mega-tough NFC North. While the SportsLine Projection Model is pretty high on the Chargers, giving them an updated season win total of 9.1 and a 56.4% shot (equates to -129) to make the playoffs, it gives the Vikings a win total of 8.0 and a 17.1% chance (+485). With a win, the chances for Los Angeles rise to 65.2% and drop to 44.8% with a loss. For Minnesota, its chances rise to just 23.9% with a win and 11.5% after a loss. DraftKings lists the Chargers at 9.5 wins and -185 to make the postseason, and the Vikings at 7.5 wins and +450.
We'll take you through every aspect of the Vikings vs. Chargers game that you need to know before you lock in your bets, including SportsLine expert picks, props, trends, DFS, injury information and everything else that will help you know which plays are worth making for the primetime matchup.
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