Chiefs vs. Raiders Point Spread: NFL Week 8 Odds, Prediction
This game is a tale of two teams. On one side you have the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs who improved to a perfect 6-0 with a 28-18 win in San Francisco last week. On the other hand, you have the 2-5 Raiders who are dead last in the division and lost their third straight game, 20-15, against the Rams last week.
This should be one of the biggest mismatches of the week and it shows on the NFL odds, with Kanas City listed as a 9.5-point favourite, while the total sits at 41.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Las Vegas broke years of disparity in this AFC West rivalry with a surprise 20-14 win on Christmas Day last year. That snapped a string of six straight KC wins in head-to-head action and it was the Raiders’ first win against the Chiefs in a little over three years.
When it comes to this season, Kansas City has been money on the field and with bettors, going 5-1 against the spread while winning by an average margin of 7.2 points per game. That extends the Chiefs’ run to 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games dating to last season.
It’s not as rosy in Las Vegas as they sit 3-4 ATS while winning outright just once at home and once on the road. And if you think home cooking will do anything to turn the tide, think again, as the Raiders have lost six straight home games against KC. If I’m forced to point to something positive, it’s the fact Las Vegas has hit the Over in four of their last five home dates, so at least we could be in for a high scoring game.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs answered any lingering questions with a massive road win in a Super Bowl rematch against San Francisco last week. Kansas City found a way to win despite Patrick Mahomes throwing for just 154 yards with no passing TDs and two interceptions. Kareem Hunt, who has looked great since signing back in Kansas City last month, led the way with a game-high 78 rushing yards and two TDs. Hunt has been a steal for fantasy players as he’s averaged 83 rushing yards per game with three TDs over three appearances.
The big news for Kansas City this week is the trade for receiver DeAndre Hopkins from Tennessee. Hopkins only has 173 receiving yards and one TD this season, but the five-time Pro Bowler could be on the verge of a big breakout with Mahomes, rather than Will Levis, throwing him the ball. Hopkins will certainly get his targets in KC with multiple receiving options, including JuJu Smith-Schuster, set to miss this game because of injury.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was forced to leave early last week with a broken thumb and it was an absolute disaster from backup Gardner Minshew. The journeyman who started the year QB1 on the depth chart completed just 15 of 34 pass attempts while throwing for 154 yards, no TDs and three interceptions. Minshew has thrown five interceptions and only one TD over his last two games, but with O’Connell on the IR, the Raiders will be forced to rely on Minshew this week and possibly turn to recently signed Desmond Ridder in the future.
It’s doesn’t get any better on the defensive side of the ball. Not only does Las Vegas rank dead last in turnover ratio (-13), they’ve given up over 30 points to a weak Steelers offence, a weak Broncos offence and even Andy Dalton and the Panthers torched the Raiders for 36 points.
KC
LV