To conclude the NFL regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs (-14) are gearing up to take the field against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium. This AFC West game starts at 4:25 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to CBS.
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs Betting Preview
Oakland is a live dog in this Sunday pairing and is currently getting 14 points. The Raiders are also receiving +525 moneyline odds while the Chiefs are -875. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 54 points. Should the favorite starts trailing in the early stages, it would likely generate a reasonable live betting opportunity.
The game’s O/U has swung down after initially being set at 54.5. The opening line (-14) has not changed.
The Raiders have lost 4.2 units so far and are 6-9 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 7-8. The Chiefs have been a nice surprise for moneyline bettors this season, gaining 6.0 units. The team is 8-6-1 ATS and the over has hit in 10 of its games.
The Raiders are only 4-11 straight up (SU), including 1-4 SU against AFC West opponents. The Chiefs are 11-4 SU overall and 4-1 SU against divisional foes.
The Raiders are coming off a resounding 27-14 win over Denver last week. The passing attack was sharp as Derek Carr completed 19-of-26 passes for just 167 yards. Doug Martin (107 yards on 21 rush attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground attack. Jordy Nelson (seven receptions, 75 yards) and Jalen Richard (four catches, 40 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
In Week 16, Seattle knocked off this Kansas City team by a score of 38-31. The Chiefs defensive unit let the Seahawks kill the clock by rushing for 210 yards on 43 attempts, including two rush TDs. Doug Baldwin put up a good outing for Seattle, posting 126 yards on seven catches. For Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes completed 23-of-40 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Damien Williams (103 rushing yards on 13 attempts) led the running game as Williams (seven receptions, 37 yards, one TD) and Travis Kelce (five catches, 54 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the loss.
When looking at offensive play-calling, each squad sports a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Oakland’s run the ball on 40.6 percent of its offensive possessions while Kansas City has an overall rush percentage of 39.3. The Raiders have run for 100 yards/game (including 106 per game versus West opponents) and have nine scores on the ground this year. The Chiefs are averaging 117 rush yards per game (106 in conference) and have 14 total rushing TDs.
If 2018 results are any indication, then it appears the Chiefs ought to have an edge in the trenches. Their offensive line has yielded just 26 sacks while the D-line has logged 49 sacks. The Raiders O-line has given up 49 sacks and their defense has forced only 13 sacks.
The Raiders offensive scheme has averaged 258 yards through the air overall (250 per game versus conference opposition) and has 19 passing scores so far. The Chiefs have put up 321 pass yards per outing (280.2 against AFC competition) and have 48 total pass TDs.
Oakland seems to possess the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has let opponents rush for an average of 143 yards and pass for 242 yards per game. The Kansas City D has allowed 302.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 132.5 yards per game to opposing runners. The Chiefs are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 6.52 to opponents, while the Raiders have allowed a 7.81 ANY/A.
Offensively, Carr is up to 3,601 passing yards this year, and has completed 70 percent of his 482 attempts with 18 scores through the air and eight interceptions. He has a 6.39 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 5.83 over the last two games.
The Raiders have tried to control the pace by feeding their running backs early and often. In addition to receiver Jordy Nelson (573 receiving yards and three touchdowns), Doug Martin (584 rush yards, four rush TDs) and Jalen Richard (249 rush yards, one rush TD, 523 receiving yards) have really been focal points in the offensive gameplans for Oakland.
Patrick Mahomes has completed 345-of-522 passes for 4,573 yards, 46 TDs and 11 INTs for Kansas City. His ANY/A stands at 8.86 for the season and 7.78 across his past two outings.
The Chiefs also like to utilize their backfield. In addition to Damien Williams (78 receiving yards, two receiving TDs), Tyreek Hill (141 rush yards, 1,332 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs) and Travis Kelce (1,213 receiving yards and 10 TDs) have gotten plenty of action recently.
RELATED: Week 17 NFL Betting Odds and Predictions
NFL Pick: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
SU Winner – Chiefs, ATS Winner – Raiders, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Trends
The O/U for Oakland’s last game going into it was 42. The under cashed in the team’s 27-14 win over Denver.
Oakland has produced 3.3 yards per carry over its past three contests and 4.0 over its last two.
Kansas City has averaged 4.9 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 5.9 over its past two.
Kansas City has lost six fumbles this season while Oakland has let 12 get away.
Over its last three matchups, Oakland is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Kansas City’s last outing was set at 54. The over cashed in the 38-31 loss to Seattle.
In its last three matches, Kansas City is 0-3 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
The Raiders offense has tallied seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Chiefs have accounted for 12 such plays.
The Oakland defense has allowed 12 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Kansas City has given up eight such plays.
The Oakland offense has created eight rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Kansas City has created 16 such runs.
Both teams have allowed 11 rushing plays of 20+ yards. The Raiders have given up 47 running plays of 10+ yards while the Chiefs have given up 60 such plays.
The Kansas City defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 49 times this season. Oakland has produced just 13 sacks.
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