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Sports Interaction Staff
MNF Chiefs vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Week 3 Odds, Prediction
In a potential AFC Championship preview, Super Bowl LIV MVP Patrick Mahomes leads the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs into Baltimore to face a Ravens team led by 2019 league MVP Lamar Jackson.
Both teams are off to 2-0 starts, but oddsmakers have given the Ravens the edge as 3.5-point favourites, while the total opened at 54.
Monday Night Football Point Spread & Betting Analysis
All last season these teams seemed destined to battle in the AFC Championship until a surprising Ravens loss to the Titans in the divisional round. These are still two of the best squads in the league and could very likely face off in this year’s AFC Championship.
These teams did meet once last season, a 33-28 Chiefs win at Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes came out on top in that battle of superstar QBs with 374 passing yards and three TDs, while Lamar Jackson was held to 267 passing yards and one rushing TD.
The Ravens are 9-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last ten AFC games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall, while the Chiefs are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five Monday games and 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after throwing for more than 250 yards in the previous game. The under is 4-0 in the Ravens last four games as the favourite and 4-0 in the Chiefs last four games on the road.
Kansas City Chiefs
While the Chiefs still seem to be figuring some things out in their game, a 2-0 start is right where they expected to be. After rolling over the Texans 34-20 to start the season, they stumbled last week in a 23-20 overtime win against the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes is still dominant with 513 passing yards and five TDs through the first two games and he is receiving help from players like Travis Kelce, who has 140 yards on 15 catches and two TDs, while Tyreek Hill has 145 yards on 10 catches with two TDs.
The area the Chiefs are struggling in this year is where the Ravens excel. Kansas City is giving up an average of 150.5 rushing yards per game, putting its run defence at 27th in the league. The Chiefs had to rally to make it to overtime against the Chargers in Week 2 with Harrison Butker making a 30-yard field goal to send it to overtime before eventually winning the game with a career-long 58-yard field goal.
Baltimore Ravens
Through the first two games this season, Lamar Jackson is making his case for a second straight MVP award, putting up 479 passing yards and four TDs heading into Monday. While Jackson deserves the significant attention he is receiving, the Ravens defence has slid under the radar and quietly been a powerful force. The Ravens currently have the longest active streak of allowing 21 points or less, having done it in their last 13 games.
The Ravens dominated all areas of the game against the Texans last week, receiving contributions throughout the lineup. In a game where Baltimore picked up 230 rushing yards, Jackson also threw for 204 yards and one TD while rushing for 54 yards, kicker Justin Tucker nailed four field goals and linebacker L.J. Fort even returned a fumble for a TD.
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