“No can do, chief” is not something Kansas City head coach Andy Reid wants to hear when the Chiefs visit the New England Patriots in the 2017 NFL betting kickoff. And there is one area in which the two teams are evenly matched; they tied for 3rd most players in the NFL Network’s annual Top 100 players list. Of course, the first Chiefs player to appear on the list safety Eric Berry at No. 13, while the first Pats player on the list is the first player on the list. Three guesses as to who that is. Another thing they have in common is the fact that both lost a player for the entire season due to a preseason injury; the Chiefs’ Spencer Ware and the Pats’ Julian Edelman.
RB Spencer Ware is out with a knee injury.#KCvsSEA #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/sZVa5scUsJ
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 26, 2017
- Date: Thursday, 7th September
- Time: 8:35 PM
- Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Sportsbook Odds for Fans Betting on NFL:
Chiefs +8 (-110) 48 (-110) +310
Patriots -8 (-110) 48 (-110) -380
No Spencer but still plenty other wares
Spencer Ware may or may not be the Chiefs’ best running back, but he’s not the only one. “I think we’re going to be OK there,” Reid said via ESPN.com. “Now, listen, are you going to replace Spence? No. He’s a good football player. The young kid [Kareem Hunt], he’ll step in and he’ll do a nice job for us. Charcandrick [West]’s got reps under his belt, C.J. [Spiller] has reps under his belt.” West has been in this situation before; he was Kansas’ lead rusher in 2015 after Jamaal Charles had a season-ending knee injury in the Week 5. West started nine games and had a season-best 110 rushing yards against Pittsburgh and a team-high 634 yards in the season. Meanwhile, Spiller led the Bills in rushing in 2012-2013, was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2012 season after he rushed for 1,244 yards and six TDs. He trailed only Adrian Peterson in yards per carry.
The Chiefs have lost two thirds of their last six meetings with the Patriots, and have failed to cover in eight of their last dozen encounters with New England. The NFL betting total has gone under in four of the Chiefs’ last six games against the Patriots.
The Pats minus Cyrus
Cornerback Cyrus Jones, who was expected to take Edelman’s place as top punt returner, left Thursday’s preseason finale with a knee injury that could jeopardize his entire season. Jones will undergo an MRI on Friday but the outlook is “not good,” sources told ESPN.
As a result, wide receiver Danny Almendola may have to add ‘punt returner’ to his increasing workload. Nonetheless, New England remains the favourite of people betting on NFL – to win this game as well as the Super Bowl.
The Patriots are 5-0 straight-up in their last five times hosting the Chiefs, and 4-2 against the spread in Kansas’ last six visits to New England. The NFL betting total has gone over in five of the Pats’ last seven home games versus the Chiefs.