Betting Impact of Vikings-Rams Venue Change

First of all, I want to send my deepest sympathies to the people of Southern California, who are dealing with an absolutely terrible situation right now. The wildfires that have spread across Los Angeles and its counties have devastated many families, with people losing their homes and possessions to this disaster. God bless the first responders who are out there dealing with it right now in every way possible, and hopefully, they will be able to contain all of these fires soon.

Due to this unprecedented event, the NFL has decided to move the Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The smoke and dangers of the fires was too much of a risk for them to hold the game at SoFi Stadium in L.A., where the Rams were going to be the home team. So with that, they moved the game several hundred miles east, to the home of the Arizona Cardinals.

If you already bet on this game, I would check on your wager before you go to make any others on this game. Depending on the sportsbook, your wager may have been voided due to the change in venue. This is because it has a pretty big effect on the game, seeing as how the Rams are no longer playing in their home stadium or city. As a result, the line has moved toward Minnesota, as they no longer have that disadvantage at a neutral site.

The Vikings are now a -2.5 favorite at most sportsbooks, up from -1.5 to -1 that they were before the game moved to Arizona. That isn’t a huge line jump, and if you bet either of these teams at -1 or +1, you probably won’t have much of an issue betting them at -2.5 or +2.5. The likelihood the game ends on 1-point or 2-points is negligible, despite what you may hear from other cappers. The total wasn’t really affected much, as the game was going to be played in a dome anyway. It has moved up quite a bit in the last couple of days, and I bet it at 46.5. In most places, it is now at 47.5 or 48.

Now, many will wonder how this change of venue will shift betting strategy. Will the wildfire tragedy have any effect on the Rams as a team? Perhaps. They might play with a little more vigor and determination than they did before. However, it is unlikely that it will have any major impact. In addition to that, the change in venue here really doesn’t have a massive effect when it comes to home field advantage.

I feel bad taking a shot at Los Angeles here considering what they are going through, but I think we all know that they have the worst home field advantage in the league. In many games, there are more opposing fans in the stands than there are Rams. Although, I’ll admit it is much worse for the Chargers, who should still be in San Diego.

To be honest, I have long wished that the NFL Playoffs were always held on a neutral field, like in college with the Sugar Bowl, Peach Bowl, etc. Put the game between the two cities that are facing off. That way, there is no advantage for either team and we really know who is the best squad on the field.

I bet the Rams at +110 on the moneyline the other day, but it was voided due to the venue change. I am still going to bet them, but at even better odds now, so I am glad they moved it to Glendale. It also has nothing to do with the fires, but more so that I am fading a Vikings team that I have believed for a while is very lucky to be where they are.

Once again, please send a prayer to everyone who is dealing with the situation in Southern California. I hope they are getting all the resources they need to end this tragedy as soon as possible.

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