What Time Is Thursday Night Football? Week 8 NFL Schedule

We're through seven weeks now, and it's becoming clearer which teams are in playoff contention and which are likely out of the race. On Thursday, one team is looking to rebound from its first loss against a team that's desperately clinging to fading hopes of making the postseason.

The two teams have a solid history of winning seasons lately, but one is mostly healthy while the other has been riddled with injuries to key players. However, both teams are headed by excellent coaches and offensive staff, and it's possible a shootout could be brewing.

So when will the game start, who will play, and who has the best chance at winning the game?

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Who is Playing on Thursday Night Football?

The Minnesota Vikings will travel to southern California to take on the Los Angeles Rams for this week's Thursday Night Football matchup. The Vikings are coming off their first loss of the season, having been narrowly defeated by the Detroit Lions in Week 7. The Rams, meanwhile, eked out a narrow win against the Las Vegas Raiders last week.

Coach Jon Gruden previews the Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams Thursday Night Football game! 🏈 https://t.co/Fv3jHsqRVL pic.twitter.com/JVOaFi0yrj

— Gruden Loves Football (@GrudenLovesFB) October 23, 2024

Minnesota sits at 5-1 and seems to be a near-lock to make the playoffs, while Los Angeles is 2-4. A loss would all but slam the door shut on a potential playoff run for L.A. -- teams who start the season 2-5 historically have just a 4% chance of making the playoffs. An improvement would more than double their chances to 19%.

SKOL country, meanwhile, would slightly improve its chances of getting to the postseason, but with the way it has been playing, even a loss this week wouldn't make a huge difference.

When and How Can I Watch The Game?

As is the case with most TNF games, this one is scheduled for 8:15 EDT. There are two legal options for watching the game. One is through Amazon, which will be streaming the game through its Prime Video service. Prime Video can be purchased for $8.99 per month. Prime members will have access to Prime Video.

Vikings vs. Rams on TNF to kick off Week 8!#MINvsLAR – Thursday 8:15pm ET on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/UNVznAUc0o

— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2024

You can also try a free 30-day trial of Prime, which would technically allow you to watch the game for free.

The NFL itself will also stream the game through NFL+. This can be had for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year. The game will not air on cable or local television stations over the antenna, so streaming it is the only option you have for viewing.

Who is Going to Win?

Despite the big difference in records and the general diverging paths of both teams this season, the Vikings are just three-point favorites over the Rams for Thursday's game. Perhaps this is because of the return of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is a huge game-changer for L.A.'s offense.

Cooper Kupp executing the deep out route to perfection

Sell 9 ⬆️, stop on a dime 🛑 pic.twitter.com/7iIazj0XVX

— Receiver School (@ReceiverSchool) September 9, 2024

Though he's had a rough time with injuries the past few seasons and is now 31 years old, he's still elite. He'll likely be the difference-maker for the Rams. If he doesn't have a good game, his team will likely have very little chance of winning.

The Vikings have a suffocating defense, a quarterback who's playing well, great receiving weapons, a good offensive line, and an excellent head coach in Kevin O'Connell heading the offense. They're facing a team struggling with injuries and fielding a porous defense.

Minnesota seems to be the most likely to win this game. It has a much stronger roster without many weaknesses and is much healthier on both sides of the ball. It also has had much more success this season.

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