Before we get into the details of this matchup and how to approach it for the DraftKings Showdown, I want to point people to a few recurring pieces of content that I think are extremely valuable if you're serious about watching the Showdown to win all season long. I would recommend reading/listening to this content before proceeding, especially if you are new to Showdown.

1. How to win showdown competitions: An in-depth article delving into the data and strategy behind winning showdown lineups.

2. DFS Showdown Strategy Podcast: An in-depth discussion of how to beat Showdown, a look at game theory and how to use the playing field.

DraftKings Sports Betting Lines

Spread: MIN – 2.5
In total: 48.0
Team totals: Vikings (25.3), Rams (22.8)

Game outlook

Week 8 begins with an entertaining Thursday night matchup between the Vikings and Rams as Minnesota travels to SoFi to take on LA as 2.5-point favorites, with the total score standing at a whopping 48 points. Only two other games in Week 8 have a higher total than MIN/LAR, so let's hope we see some points in this game after being forced to watch the Saints JV squad last week.

After seven weeks, Minnesota was one of the highest passing teams in the league, had the 10th highest shooting percentage when games were within a score, and ranked fourth in PROE (+3.6%). They'll be going up against a Rams defense that ranks 26th in EPA per pass attempt and 24th in drop-back success rate. It's hard not to be excited about the Vikings' passing game at this point.