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Best NFL Against the Spread Picks for Wild Card Round (Ride with LA)

Here are two ATS picks to consider for Wild Card Weekend.

By Shelby Dermer

Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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The wait is over. In just over a month, a Super Bowl Champion will be crowned in New Orleans. 

Before we get to confetti falling, there are several high-stakes playoff games on deck, beginning this weekend with a half-dozen Wild Card matchups. 

Here are two ATS picks to consider for Wild Card Weekend.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Best NFL Against the Spread Picks for Wild Card Round 

  • Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) at Houston Texans 
  • Los Angeles Rams (+1.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings 

Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) at Houston Texans 

We have one scoring hot Wild Card team in the LA Chargers against a division champion that backed their way into the playoffs. Houston may have wrapped up the dreadful AFC South with ease, but left a lot to be desired in losing six of its next 10 games after a 5-1 start before resting starters in Week 18. 

Part of Houston’s struggles has been a second-year slump for quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw three less touchdowns (20) and seven more interceptions (12) this season than he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign last year. Another part is Houston’s injuries at receiver. Speedster Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury against Kansas City before Christmas and Nico Collins missed several games this season. 

While one offense has been stagnant and struggled mightily against fellow playoff teams, the Chargers are heating up. LA’s offense opened the year as a run-first, conservative unit but have opened it up recently with Justin Herbert turning Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston into a formidable pass-catching tandem. The Chargers also got leading rusher J.K. Dobbins back from injury and the offense hit its peak down the stretch, putting up at least 34 points in each of the last three games. 

The Chargers went an NFL-best 12-5 ATS this season and 5-1 ATS as a road favorite. Take them at less than a field goal against the struggling Texans. 

Los Angeles Rams (+1.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings 

The Rams did it again. Last year, Los Angeles started 3-6 before a second-half run to the postseason where they won seven of eight down the stretch. 

This season, the Rams were left for dead in a competitive NFC West after a 1-4 start. With one of the league’s best head coaches and a veteran quarterback, the Rams rallied to win nine of their next 11 contests to wrap up the division title. 

Last year, the Rams had to go on the road and nearly upset the Detroit Lions in the first round. This time around, the Rams earned the right to stay on the west coast and are short home underdogs to maybe the best Wild Card team in NFL history as Minnesota settled for the No. 5 seed despite winning 14 times. 

One of Minnesota’s top strengths is its defense, led by Brian Flores, who will be a hot name in the head-coaching carousel this offseason. Flores and company have made life difficult on several quarterbacks this season but a good way to combat that unit is an elite play-caller in Sean McVay and a championship quarterback like Matthew Stafford. 

Stafford threw for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 30-20 victory over Minnesota in Week 8. Minnesota’s defense ranks 28th against the pass but relies on turnovers. By this point in his career, Stafford has seen just about everything a defense can throw at him, so we like his chances of playing an efficient, clean game on Monday night. 

Minnesota has the NFC’s top-ranked run defense but it didn’t stop Kyren Williams from nearly cracking 100 yards against the Vikings in the previous matchup. Williams ran for at least 70 yards in six of the last seven games and scored six touchdowns in that span. The Rams’ offense is healthy and clicking at the right time. 

Meanwhile, should we trust Sam Darnold to lay points on the road in a big game? This will be Darnold’s playoff debut. In a de facto playoff game in Week 18, Darnold took a monster step back in completing just 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards in a 22-point loss to Detroit. Darnold’s passer rating dropped 11.2 points on the road this season and his completion percentage dropped over 5 points. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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