Ravens vs. Chiefs Point Spread: NFL Week 4 Odds, Prediction
A pair of perennial Super Bowl favourites enduring shaky starts to the NFL season clash on Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Week 4 betting action at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs return home after claiming their first victory of the season, a 22-9 win over the New York Giants last week on Sunday Night Football, but have work to do to kick start an offence that has averaged only 20 points per game. The Ravens travel to KC on the rebound from last week’s 38-30 loss in Detroit that dumped the defending AFC North champions to 1-2 on the season.
The Ravens’ early-season struggles have not dampened their position on the NFL Week 4 odds, where they have emerged as 2.5-point road favourites. The Chiefs are pegged as +125 underdogs on the NFL moneyline, and the total sits at 48.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These AFC rivals meet in the regular season for the second time in as many years, with the Chiefs claiming a 27-20 win in last year’s season opener. With that victory, the Chiefs have now topped the Ravens in six of seven overall meetings, including a 17-10 win in the AFC championship game two seasons again, and have also covered the spread in six of eight clashes since 2011. That run includes three straight victories at home in high-scoring affairs, with the total reaching at least 47 in each of the dates during a 3-0 run for the OVER. Overall, the Ravens have maintained their high-scoring ways in their first three outings, scoring a league-leading average of 37 points. However, Baltimore has also sputtered on defence, trailing only Miami while allowing 32 points per game. Conversely, the Chiefs attack has stumbled out of the gate, and were lucky to not be facing a more formidable opponent in last week’s listless 22-9 over the beleaguered Giants.
Baltimore Ravens
For the second time in three games, the Ravens squandered a second-half lead in last week’s date with Detroit, allowing the Lions to score on four of their first five drives after halftime in a soul crushing 38-30 defeat. In addition to a porous defensive performance, the Ravens struggled to move the ball, compiling just 115 total yards after the break while the offensive line allowed Lamar Jackson to get sacked seven times.
Despite those struggles, Jackson has remained productive, averaging 240.3 passing yards per game and piling up nine scoring tosses. However, the two-time NFL MVP has consistently struggled when facing the Chiefs, connecting on just one TD pass in each of his past four versus the Chiefs. However, Jackson has twice topped 100 rushing yards in his past three versus KC, and should not be overlooked as a-140 bet on the NFL player props to compile OVER 45.5 rushing yards on Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs
Perhaps the only way to describe the Chiefs 1-2 start to the season is sloppy. While this team has remained largely healthy, their play has been marked by inexplicable decision making and mistakes that have are uncharacteristic for a team coming off three straight Super Bowl appearances. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has looked out of sorts while completing just 59 per cent of pass attempts for just three touchdowns , which have all come after halftime. A moribund ground game has not helped matters.
Indeed, Mahomes remains the team’s top ball carrier, averaging 41.7 rushing yards, and has accounted for two of the team’s scoring runs to date. Meanwhile, the backfield duo of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have combined for just 173 rushing yards and just one score. If the Chiefs are unable to hit the reset button, it could be a long afternoon for them at Arrowhead.
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