The Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) take on the Las Vegas Raiders (6-10) as Patrick Mahomes and co. try to lock in the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
That first-round bye is a major advantage, so you can be assured that the Chiefs will be playing their starters throughout this divisional matchup.
On the other side, the Raiders will look to build on their strong Week 17 effort in a close loss to the San Francisco 49ers. New starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham looked impressive in his debut.
Let’s explore the Kansas City vs Las Vegas best bets for Week 18.
Chiefs vs Raiders Odds
Chiefs vs Raiders odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of Mon. Jan. 2, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
The Chiefs open as 9.5-point favorites, which seems a bit high considering what we saw from the Raiders against the 49ers. The total is also high at 53.5 points, but it highlights how dominant Mahomes has been against Las Vegas.
Take a look at the best Chiefs odds and Raiders odds for the 2022 NFL season.
Chiefs vs Raiders Implied Totals
Chiefs 31.50, Raiders 22
Bookmakers project Kansas City to have their way with this Raiders defense, cruising to just under a double-digit road win. They don’t think that Vegas will be able to slow down Mahomes and company.
Chiefs vs Raiders Pick of the Day
Read more on this Chiefs vs Raiders bet below.
Chiefs vs Raiders Prediction
Chiefs 31, Raiders 24
The Raiders were able to keep it close against the Chiefs in their previous meeting, losing a hard-fought 30-29 battle.
They have a chance to stay competitive here, as Stidham ran this offense at a high level against a tough 49ers defense last week.
The former Patriots’ backup quarterback threw for 365 yards at 10.7 yards per attempt, demonstrating his comfort in Josh McDaniels‘ scheme, who was his offensive coordinator in New England.
Stidham was able to get the ball to Davante Adams, who caught 7-of-11 targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns against San Francisco.
On the Chiefs side, we’ve seen Mahomes dominate the Raiders in recent matchups, throwing for 11 touchdowns in their last three meetings, two of which were blowout victories.
However, it’s clear that the Raiders are playing hard to close out their disappointing year, as evidenced by their overtime loss against the 49ers last week.
Look for Vegas to keep this game within a touchdown.
Chiefs vs Raiders Bet Tips
Here are a few Chiefs vs Raiders betting trends to consider before making your bets:
- The Chiefs are 4-11-1 against the spread, and Overs are 8-8 in their games.
- The Raiders are 8-8 ATS, and Unders have hit in eight of their 16 games.
- Stidham looked good for the Raiders against the 49ers.
- Mahomes has dominated Vegas in recent matchups.
Chiefs vs Raiders Best Bets
Raiders +9.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
We’re banking on the Raiders keeping this game within 10 points against a Chiefs team that has gone 4-11-1 against the spread this season.
Kansas City failed to cover against Vegas in their previous meeting. Expect more of the same here with Stidham surprisingly looking like an upgrade in this scheme over Derek Carr.
Want to bet on the Raiders? Check out the best Nevada sportsbooks!
Over 53 Points (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
It’s hard not to take the Over here with the way Mahomes has picked apart the Raiders in their recent matchups.
It also helps that Vegas looked improved on offense last week. If the Raiders can replicate that performance, we’d have a favorable game environment for a high-scoring affair.
Essentially, Chiefs games usually only stay Under if the opponent is unable to keep pace with them. I don’t think that will happen in this one.
Want to bet on the Chiefs? Check out the best Kansas sportsbooks!
Chiefs vs Raiders Props
Check out the best Chiefs vs Raiders player prop bets this week with our props comparison tool. Click on “Show More Games" below to find the Kansas City vs Las Vegas game and see all of its prop bets.
