Chiefs vs. Raiders Point Spread: NFL Week 18 Odds, Prediction
The Raiders are 9.5-point underdogs on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Kansas City has already clinched a seventh straight AFC West title and thus will play at least one home game in the postseason. The Chiefs can still clinch the conference’s top seed with a win here and Buffalo Bills loss either on Monday night in Week 17 at Cincinnati (written before that game) or Week 18 at home vs. New England. At worst, it seems likely KC is the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
Las Vegas is in the midst of a very disappointing season under first-year coach Josh McDaniels, who benched starting QB Derek Carr ahead of Week 17 for the final two games – Carr and McDaniels agreed it would be best if Carr simply stayed away from the team and not be a distraction. It’s a near lock at this point Carr will be dealt or released this offseason. He does have a no-trade clause.
KC beat the visiting Raiders 30-29 on Monday night in Week 5 despite trailing 20-7 late in the first half. Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce on a 1-yard TD pass – Kelce’s fourth TD catch of the game – for a 30-23 lead about midway through the fourth. Carr hit Davante Adams on a 48-yard TD pass with 4:27 to go and Las Vegas opted to try for the two-point conversion, which failed.
The total has gone over in the past five meetings.
Kansas City Chiefs
It’s now a lock that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will win his second career NFL MVP Award, and he’s almost certainly going to win more. Kansas City was perhaps looking past Denver on Sunday but escaped 27-24 at home as Mahomes threw for 328 yards and three TDs. Running back Jerick McKinnon suddenly has become a huge weapon in the passing game as he had two more TD catches — McKinnon has at least one in five straight games. He’s the first running back in the Super Bowl era to accomplish that feat.
Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (4,048) and passing TDs (40). He has joined Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only QBs with multiple 5,000-yard seasons. Mahomes has 5,377 combined passing and rushing yards this season, the fourth-most total yards in league history. He needs 186 in this one for the record. Think that’s a safe bet barring injury. Kansas City is 1-7-1 ATS in its past nine games.
Las Vegas Raiders
Hard to know whom the starting quarterback will be for the Raiders next time they take the field after Saturday. We noted the Derek Carr situation above. The team could select a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 draft, trade for one or sign a free agent – there have been Tom Brady rumours. Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round pick by New England, made his first NFL start Sunday and looked pretty good against and excellent 49ers defence in throwing for 365 yards, three TDs and two picks in a 37-34 OT loss. Stidham will start again here and certainly could be in the mix next season.
Davante Adams continued his big season with seven catches for 153 yards and two scores. His 1,443 yards receiving are a franchise record. Josh Jacobs had 69 yards and a TD on the ground and leads the league with 1,608 rushing yards. Jacobs is poised for free agency unless slapped with the franchise tag or the sides work out a deal. Las Vegas is 6-0 ATS in its past six vs. teams with a winning record.
KC
LV