Chiefs vs Raiders Prediction: Who Will Win? Preview, Odds, Line, Spread, and Picks - Can the Chiefs clinch the AFC's top seed? | NFL Week 18
The Las Vegas Raiders will be hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. These AFC West foes match up for the season finale in Las Vegas, with the Chiefs eyeing the #1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC. Kansas City is 13-3, and after the Bills versus Bengals game was unfortunately canceled on Monday, KC guarantees themselves a first-round bye with a victory over Las Vegas. The Raiders don't have much to play for other than a higher draft pick, as they're just 6-10. The Chiefs eked out a 30-29 comeback victory over the Raiders back in October, and they have an active four-game winning streak against their division rivals.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders Match Details
Fixture: Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders
Date & Time: Saturday, January 7, 4:30 p.m. EDT
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders Betting Odds
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders Key Stats
The Chiefs arguably have the best offense in the NFL, and of course, star QB Patrick Mahomes is a huge part of that. Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (5,048) and passing TDs (40), and he's just 430 passing yards away from breaking Peyton Manning's single-season record. His main targets this year have been All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, who has amassed 1,300 yards on 104 catches, and Juju Smith-Schuster, who has excelled in his first year in Kansas City. In the backfield, rookie running back Isiah Pacheco has had a solid season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and totaling 766 yards on the ground. The Raiders' defense they'll be up against is one of the worst in the league, and they are coming off a performance where they gave up 37 points to the 49ers.
Las Vegas has decided to go with Jarrett Stidham to close out the season, and the former Auburn QB played pretty well last week in his first career start. Stidham finished with 365 passing yards, and he tossed three TDs in the loss. He also threw two picks, but overall he was very effective. Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has 1,443 receiving yards heading into the final game, the third-most in the NFL, and he makes Stidham's life a lot easier. Running back Josh Jacobs is questionable, but it would be a huge boost for the Raiders if he can play. Jacobs leads the NFL in total rushing yards with 1,608, but Las Vegas could opt to play it safe and rest him in what is essentially a meaningless game for them.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders Betting Prediction
The Chiefs are fortunate to be in a position where they just need to win to clinch the #1 seed and a first-round bye. Although they're much stronger than the Raiders in pretty much every category, Kansas City is just 4-11 against the spread this season. Las Vegas can somewhat play spoiler, but they'll be playing with their backup QB and possibly backup running backs as well. Still, the Raiders fought hard against the Chiefs earlier this year, and the Niners needed overtime to beat Las Vegas in a game that should've been a blowout. While the Chiefs should win, back the Raiders here to cover.
Prediction: Raiders +9.5 (-110)
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