Week 8 Vikings-Chargers score predictions for Thursday Night Football

The Vikings and Chargers could both really use this one. The two teams set to battle on Thursday Night Football this week are coming off of tough losses on Sunday, and a second loss in five days would be a tough pill to swallow heading into a mini-bye over the weekend.

The 3-3 Vikings dropped a winnable game to the Eagles and are 1.5 games out of a playoff spot in the loaded NFC. They're giving at least one more start to veteran Carson Wentz, with J.J. McCarthy (ankle) perhaps in line to return to action in Week 9 against the Lions. The path to the postseason for the Vikings would be difficult to envision if they lose this one, given the difficulty of their schedule.

The Chargers were beaten badly by the Colts to fall to 4-3 on the season, though they still occupy a playoff spot in what looks like a weaker AFC. They might not need this one as desperately as the Vikings do, but they're at home and will be hungry to bounce back from Sunday's rough outing.

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Both teams are dealing with notable injuries. The Chargers have the better quarterback in Justin Herbert, but the Vikings probably offset that to some degree with slight advantages in the skill positions and on defense. This looks like more or less a toss-up, with the Chargers currently three-point betting favorites in Los Angeles.

Here are our staff's predictions for Thursday's game.

Will Ragatz: Chargers 26, Vikings 23

A few things worry me about the Vikings heading into this one. They've got some injury concerns that we'll know more about closer to game time. Wentz seems to be prone to making a few boneheaded decisions every week. And Herbert, who shredded Brian Flores' defense in 2023, has an outstanding group of pass-catchers that could help him put up big numbers again. It'll be close, but this feels like another rough odd-numbered year for Kevin O'Connell (2023 was a mess, too).

With that said, the Vikings could certainly win this game if they can muster a solid performance on a short week. Above all else, they need to find a way to not lose the turnover battle for a fourth straight game. They've lost it 2-0 in each of their last three games.