The Las Vegas Raiders oppose their old AFL-rival Kansas City Chiefs Monday night in a critical (albeit early) AFC West Division contest, the teams having opposite-direction seasons to date. The Kansas City Chiefs are a touchdown faves at home, with total set at 51, as per BetUS Sportsbook NFL odds.
Silver and Black Back-to-Back?
The Las Vegas Raiders should be relieved after they defeated the division rivals Denver Broncos, 32-23, last week. It ended a three-game skid as the Raiders were the last NFL team to get off the schneid this season. With no moral victories, perhaps the Raiders take some solace in the fact their three season-opening losses were by five, six and two points. Vegas isn’t as top-to-bottom bad as many of the teams with the same record, but Monday night offers their biggest test to date.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds by BetUs
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | +7 ( -110 ) | 51 ( -110 ) | +270 |  |
| Chiefs | -7 ( -110 ) | 51 ( -110 ) | -340 | |
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The Raiders, now under new coach Josh McDaniels, have been a middle-of-the-pack team thus far, hanging around the top-15 in passing, running, points scored and points allowed. They aren’t spectacular, or extraordinary in any one area, but not fraught with incompetence, either, However, since Vegas belongs to the best division in football, the schedule does them no favors. They desperately need this win to contend for a playoff spot down the road.
There aren’t many teams in NFL history (six) to have made the playoffs after an 0-3 start, and the odds after potentially beginning 1-4 are even slimmer, Thus, a 2-3 start is workable, For Las Vegas to win, they will need to shrink the game, testing the Chiefs’ league-leading rush defense.
Expect a heavy dose of Josh Jacobs (70 carries, 336 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, two touchdowns).
KC surrendered just 263 yards through four games this season, as trailing teams obviously abandoned the run.
Chiefs Are Night Owls
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off one of the NFL’s more impressive wins of the season. The visiting Chiefs dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night, winning 41-31. They were far more in control than the scoreboard might suggest. With no undefeated teams left in the AFC, the Chiefs are making it very hard to argue that they aren’t as good as anyone.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is having yet another MVP-caliber season, made even more impressive since he’s without star wide receiver (and new Miami Dolphin) Tyreek Hill. Mahomes is sixth in passing yards (1,106) and tied for first in passing touchdowns with 11. Choose any state line and Mahomes is proving that he’s elite.
The Chiefs are a truly balanced offense thus far, as in top 10 in passing (yards) and 11th in rushing (also yards). They’re second in points per game, and a respectable 12th in points allowed per game. An issue the club had in previous seasons was its inability to stop a high-powered offense on the other side of the ball. Defense has played better, making the Chiefs arguably the top Super Bowl contender in all of the NFL.
Speaking of title favorites this season, they’re at +700 to win the championship. That’s tied with the Philadelphia Eagles, trailing only the Buffalo Bills, according to Super Bowl odds.
Chiefs Vanquish Vegas Again
The Kansas City Chiefs have proven that they can defeat any team in a shootout, but the Raiders need to run down the Chiefs’ throats if they’re to have a shot at winning Monday night. This won’t happen, as the Chiefs defense is proving as solid as any, while their offense needs no introduction.
While the Raiders achieved their first win, looking to be on the improve, they haven’t done much to suggest they will keep this game close in Missouri. After the Chiefs dismantled the Bucs last Sunday night, it’s a hated rival this time, and the homestanding Chiefs should win it easily.
Take the Chiefs -7 without hesitation. They will blow out the Raiders, and thus continue sitting atop the AFC West.
