Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders Betting Preview
The Kansas City Chiefs have one blemish on their record this season, a 40-32 Week 5 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. This week the Chiefs get a chance to make amends in Las Vegas to put the clamps on the AFC West. The betting site now has the Chiefs as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, with odds of 7/2.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have jumped out to a 9-0 record and hold the edge for home-field advantage in the AFC. For the Chiefs to catch the Steelers, they need to keep winning.
Raiders on a Hot Streak
After a 45-20 beatdown at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Raiders have run off three straight wins. They started the streak by limiting the Cleveland Browns to 223 total and only 122 net passing yards.
On the season, the Raiders are allowing an average of 370 total yards per game, but during the last three games, it’s almost 50 yards less. They’ll need to continue that trend if they want to do something that’s difficult in the NFL, and that is to defeat the same team twice in the same season.
The difference between the first six games for the Raiders and the last three is stark, especially in their scoring defense. They’ve given up almost 27 points a game on the season but less than 15 during their streak.
Chiefs on a Run of Their Own
Since the loss to the Raiders, the Chiefs have gone on a winning streak of their own. They’ve won four games in a row by an average score of 34-18 and outgained their opponents by 93 yards a game.
Kansas City averages 409 yards and almost 32 points a game, both second in the league. In the first game against the Raiders, they put up almost exactly their offensive averages. The breakdown came on the defensive side of the ball.
Against the Raiders, the Chiefs gave up a season-high 490 total yards, almost 140 more than their average. It was also 120 yards more than what the Raiders are averaging offensively for the year.
Betting Lines
The sportsbook payperhead247 has the Chiefs as seven-point favorites on the road. They were favored by 12 before the first meeting. The over/under is at 54.5, a healthy total but far below the 72 points scored in the first game between these two teams.
On the moneyline, the Chiefs are at -330, while the Raiders are listed at +270. Both teams are 6-3 against the spread this season, with the Chiefs 4-5 in the over/under and the Raiders faring better at 6-2-1.
Game Preview and Pick
With both teams on winning streaks, something will have to give in the rematch. Since the win over the Chiefs, the Raiders haven’t come close to the offensive output in that game. In the last four, they’ve failed to crack 360 yards of total offense.
Clearly, the Chiefs are playing better on defense since the loss and shouldn’t allow a repeat performance by the Raiders. Expect this game to hold more closely to form, with Kansas City avenging its earlier loss and taking control of the division. Take the Chiefs, lay the points, and go with the under.