3 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for Week 8 vs. the Los Angeles Rams

The Minnesota Vikings suffered their first loss of the season this past Sunday, but they won’t have much time to recover. The Vikings boarded a plane and headed to Inglewood for a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.

While the Vikings have enjoyed a strong start to the season, the Rams are picking up the pieces. At 2-4, the Rams are making a last-ditch effort to get back into the playoff picture with the return of Cooper Kupp and may be a top seller at next month’s trade deadline with a loss to the Vikings.

A desperate team against one trying to get back on track is always hard to predict but here are three bold predictions for when the Vikings match up with the Rams.

Minnesota Vikings predictions for Week 8 vs. the Los Angeles Rams

1. Cam Akers will score a rushing touchdown

Cam Akers was acquired for the second straight season by the Vikings, who pulled a 2026 conditional pick swap one year after making a similar trade with the Rams. While the deal with the Rams never consummated after Akers tore his Achilles last November, he’ll finally have a shot at revenge – even in a backup role – on Thursday.

The Vikings acquired Akers for depth behind Aaron Jones as the veteran was nursing a hamstring injury. But Jones had a full workload toting the ball 17 times, including 14 of the 16 carries by running backs in the loss to the Lions.

This could be a sign of how much the Vikings coaching staff doesn’t trust Ty Chandler, who gained four yards on his two carries but it also is unsustainable considering Jones’ injury history and the fact he will turn 30 on December 2. 

With a short week, this could be a chance for Akers to get some work, and it may lead to a touchdown against his former team, as the Rams are tied for eighth with 4.7 rushing yards allowed per attempt this season.

2. Cooper Kupp will have over 150 yards receiving

It’s bold enough to predict a big game for a player coming off injury but there are several factors that could see Kupp go off on Thursday night.

The first factors are within the Vikings' defense. Blake Cashman is out for Thursday’s game as he deals with turf toe and it led to several miscommunications within the Vikings’ defense. Jahmyr Gibbs capitalized in one instance with a 45-yard touchdown run, but Amon-Ra St. Brown converted on another with a 35-yard touchdown reception that overcame an early 10-point deficit.

Even with the miscommunication, the closest defender was Byron Murphy, who leads all cornerbacks with 2.31 yards allowed per coverage snap in the slot this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

With Kupp receiving 35 percent of his targets in the slot before his injury this season, there’s a good chance Sean McVay will scheme him into this matchup. But there could also be a bit of a showcase as the Rams are falling out of contention, and teams may want to acquire Kupp before the trade deadline.

3. The Vikings will put up a season-high in points

The biggest storyline coming into Thursday’s game is the matchup between McVay and his former offensive coordinator, Kevin O’Connell. Together, McVay and O’Connell led the Rams to win the Super Bowl in 2021 and it paved the way for O’Connell to take over as head coach of the Vikings a few weeks later.

You could make the argument that McVay has a good idea to stop O’Connell’s offense because it’s patterned largely off what he learned during his time in Los Angeles. But O’Connell’s scheme has evolved since coming to Minnesota, and McVay is just 2-6 all-time against his former assistants, including six straight losses after defeating Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LV.

There’s also the fact the Rams aren’t very good. Matthew Stafford has struggled without Puka Nacua and Kupp, and while Kyren Williams has been great in the Los Angeles backfield, the Rams defense has allowed 24 or more points in five of its six games.

Mix in the fact that the Vikings will probably have a home-field advantage with SoFi Stadium becoming a road game every time the Rams play, and O’Connell should be able to get one up on his former mentor and get Minnesota back in the win column.

Prediction: Vikings win 41-13

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