For the second week in a row Monday Night Football will feature a Western Division matchup only this time it’s a battle between AFC rivals Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders avoided catastrophe last week beating Denver for their first win of the season. Only once has a team that started 0-4 reached the postseason.
Putting a winning streak together is a tough chore against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who stomped Tampa Bay last week. On their way to another division title the Chiefs swept the Raiders last season winning both games by an average of 33 points KC is a converted touchdown favorite to extend its winning streak over the Raiders to four.
The Week 5 Monday Night Football contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs will take place at Arrowhead Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET on October 10, 2022 and will be televised on ESPN.
Raiders vs Chiefs Odds
Las Vegas Raiders +7
Kansas City Chiefs -7
Over/Under 51
Odds Analysis
It takes a lot of success against your closest rivals to win six consecutive division titles. Since Mahomes became the starter in 2018 the Chiefs are 21-4 SU against AFC West foes while earning payouts in 14 of those games. That’s a big reason why they are a 7-point favorite on the NFL betting line. KC bounced back from a staggering loss in Indy earning a 41-31 win in Tampa as a slight 2-point dog. The Chiefs have dominated the Raiders winning three straight and eight of the last nine while going 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. The total spiked a half-point after opening at 50.5, the largest on the Week 5 board.
Las Vegas Raiders
One could argue the Raiders should have a better record. But as one former coach said you are what your record says you are, and the Raiders are 1-3 and in last place. Their three losses were all by one score and a total of 13 points. And the Raiders are still kicking themselves for letting the Week 2 game against the Cards slip away. They led 23-7 in the fourth quarter before allowing the game-tying score with no time left in regulation then losing on a returned fumble in overtime.
The best overall performance of the season resulted in the Raiders first win turning back Denver 32-23 last week covering the 2.5-point spread for their first payout. Based on the results of the first three games it’s safe to say they aren’t far off, but they’ve dug a deep early season hole. A loss on Sunday isn’t the end of the world but it does make things more difficult. And Vegas has to exorcise some demons in order to come out on top. The Raiders dropped both meetings last season getting outscored 89-23 and they’ve allowed an average of over 36 points in losing eight of the last nine encounters.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs haven’t had many bad games on offense with Mahomes running the show. And when they do they usually respond in a big way. The Chiefs scored just 17 points in a Week 3 loss to Indianapolis, their lowest total in 13 games. That meant the Bucs were in trouble last week and the Chiefs erupted against a stingy defense rushing for 189 yards and totaling 417 yards in the 41-31 victory. They showed they can win while not putting the game in the hands of Mahomes, who threw for 239 yards. Three of his 23 completions ended with a touchdown as the chiefs hit the 40-point mark for the fourth time in their last seven games going back to last season’s playoffs.
Despite that performance against the Colts the Chiefs boast one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL averaging the second-most points while amassing nearly 385 yards per game. Mahomes is tied for the league lead with 11 TD passes and is one of only two players with a QB rating above 108. He threw seven scoring passes without an interception against the Raiders last season helping KC cash the OVER in both games and in four straight overall.
Raiders at Chiefs Prediction
Everybody in the AFC West is chasing KC again giving the Raiders an awesome opportunity to show that they’ve turned a corner in their season. They got the monkey off their back with a win last week and have some confidence heading into this showdown. However, Mahomes and Co. have a way of shattering a team’s confidence and the inability of Vegas to beat them a head trip for the Raiders. With a Week 6 game against Buffalo on tap there’s a chance the Chiefs overlook this one, but considering the rich history between the organizations I doubt that happens.
Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs -7 / OVER 51
