Today’s top games to watch, best bets, odds: Vikings at Chargers, Thunder at Pacers, college football and more

Two teams looking to bounce back from losses will square off on Thursday Night Football when the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings collide at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The Chargers (4-3) are coming off a 38-24 loss to the Colts and have dropped three of their last four games. They are now a game behind the Broncos (5-2) in the AFC West. Meanwhile the Vikings (3-3) enter the game off a 28-22 defeat to the Eagles. Minnesota sits in the cellar of the tough NFC North.

Thursday’s quarterback matchup features Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert against Minnesota’s Carson Wentz. In last week’s loss to Indianapolis, Herbert set a career-high with 420 passing yards while also throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions. He became the first quarterback to pass for at least 400 yards and have at least three passing touchdowns in a home loss of at least 14 points since Dan Marino in 1988.

Meanwhile, Wentz is set to start his fifth game since J.J. McCarthy went down with an ankle injury. The 32-year-old vet, who passed for 313 yards with two interceptions in last week’s loss to Philadelphia, will try to improve his Thursday record to a perfect 8-0.

The Chargers are 3.5-point favorites over the Vikings on Thursday.

Los Angeles has struggled in the red zone this season. The team has scored touchdowns on just 41.7% of its drives to reach the opponent’s 20-yard line. That’s the second worst mark in the league, better than only the Raiders (38.9%). On Thursday the Chargers will face a Minnesota defense that has given up touchdowns on just 47.1% of opponent’s drives to reach the red zone, the fourth best mark in the NFL.

For the Vikings, turnovers have been a major issue. Minnesota has averaged 1.8 turnovers per game this season, the worst average in the league. By contrast it has failed to generate a takeaway in three straight games for the first time since 2018. 

While the Chargers-Vikings game is the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on Thursday, there are other viewing options on a two-game NBA slate and South Alabama at Georgia State in college football.

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on Thursday, Oct. 23. All times Eastern.

NFL best bets, where to watch

Vikings at Chargers

Time: 8:15 p.m. | Location: Inglewood, Calif. | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Vikings +3.5 | Expert: Vikings +3.5 (R.J. White)

Statistics suggest the Los Angeles defense has played well against the pass this season. The Chargers rank third in the league in passer rating (79.8) and eighth in pass defense (192.3 yards per game allowed). That normally would not bode well for Wentz and Minnesota’s passing offense. However, White notes the Los Angeles defense has caught some breaks this season, with the Chiefs‘ Xavier Worthy leaving the season opener early and the Giants‘ Jaxson Dart making his starting debut against the Chargers. “Last week it all fell apart against a strong Colts offense, but it was the third straight game allowing 27-plus points and at least three offensive TDs, with one coming against a broken Miami offense,” White says. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, also likes the Vikings, giving them a 52% chance to cover.

More NFL best bets

• Best betting apps, promos for Chargers vs. Vikings
• SportsLine Machine Learning Model AI’s player prop picks for Thursday
• SportsLine’s Projection Model’s best anytime touchdown scorer picks
• Will Brinson’s best bets and props for Thursday night

NBA best bets, where to watch

Thunder at Pacers

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Indianapolis | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Thunder -7.5 | Expert: Pacers +7.5 (Bruce Marshall)

A rematch of last season’s NBA Finals will take place when the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) and Indiana Pacers collide at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Last season, the Thunder edged the Pacers in the NBA Finals 4-3 to capture the franchise’s first title since 1979 when it was the Seattle Supersonics. On Tuesday, Oklahoma City began defense of its title with a wild 125-124 double-overtime victory over Kevin Durant and the Rockets. Thursday’s game will be the season opener for Indiana, which will play this season without star guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles tendon). The SportsLine Projection Model gives the Thunder a 53% chance to cover and assigns a “C” grade to Oklahoma City -7.5. However Marshall likes the Pacers’ depth. “Pascal Siakam continues to perform at an All-Star level, and Rick Carlisle can rotate three bigs (Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff and James Wiseman) in the post,” he says.

Nuggets at Warriors

Time: 10 p.m. | Location: San Francisco | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Nuggets +2 | Expert: Nuggets +2.5 (Micah Roberts)

The David Adelman era in Denver officially begins on Thursday when the Nuggets visit the Golden State Warriors (1-0) at the Chase Center. The 44-year-old son of former NBA coach Rick Adelman took over as interim coach of Denver late last season after the firing of Michael Malone. After guiding the Nuggets to the Western Conference semifinals, Adelman was named the full-time coach. Denver enters this season with key new faces on the roster including Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr, Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown. They’ll face a Warriors team coming off a 119-109 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Nuggets have a 58% chance to cover and gives a “C” grade to Denver +2. Meanwhile, Roberts notes Denver is 9-1 against Golden State over the last 10 meetings. “This team has a nice mix of players on the bench to help the starters maintain the lead in games,” he says.

College football best bets, where to watch

South Alabama at Georgia State

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Atlanta | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: South Alabama-6.5 | Expert: South Alabama -6.5 (Bruce Marshall)

Two 1-6 teams in the Sun Belt will try to earn their first conference victory this season when the Georgia State Panthers host the South Alabama Jaguars (both 1-6, 0-3) at Center Parc Stadium. After winning their season opener against Morgan State, the Jaguars have lost six in a row. Meanwhile, the Panthers have lost four straight games. Thursday’s game features two of the worst defenses in the country; Georgia State ranks dead last in the nation (134th) in scoring defense (41.1 points per game), while South Alabama ranks 101st (29.3). The SportsLine Projection Model gives the Jaguars a 57% chance to cover and assigns a “C” grade to South Alabama -6.5. Marshall adds that while the Jaguars are on a six-game losing streak, they have been competitive in many of those games, particularly against Troy and Arkansas State. “The Panthers have covered just twice since last September’s Vandy upset,” he says.

Looking ahead

World Series Game 1: Dodgers at Blue Jays

Time: 8 p.m. Friday | Location: Toronto | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Blue Jays +129 | Expert: Dodgers -1.5 +125 (Angelo Magliocca)

The 2025 World Series gets underway on Friday when the American League champions Toronto Blue Jays host the National League champions Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are coming off a Game 7 victory in the ALCS over the Mariners in which George Springer hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have been nearly flawless in the postseason with a 9-1 mark, including a four-game sweep in the NLCS over the Brewers. Friday’s pitching matchup pits Los Angeles lefty Blake Snell (3-0, 0.86 ERA) against rookie Toronto righty Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.20). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Blue Jays have a 48% chance to win and gives a “B” grade to Toronto money line (+129). However, Magliocca notes Snell has allowed just six hits and two runs with 27 strikeouts in the playoffs. “He also faced Toronto in August and threw five shutout innings with 10 strikeouts,” he says.