If sportsbooks took bets on the total television ratings for NFL games, the under would reign supreme, with three exceptions; namely, the Tampa Bay Bucs, the Detroit Lions, and the Kansas City Chiefs. But can the Chiefs, against the Denver Broncos, snap the mini-skin in which they currently find themselves, following their best start since 2013, or will they continue to fizzle out like the Minnesota Vikings did last season?
- Date: Monday, 30th October
- Time: 8:35 PM
- Venue: Arrowhead Stadium
Online sportsbook odds:
Broncos +7 (-105) 43 (-110) +269
Chiefs -7 (-115) 43 (-110) -333
“A lot of fingers can be pointed and all of that, but the reality is you’re 5-2 and a pretty good football team,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, and he is, at least as far as offense is concerned, absolutely correct. Kansas City had never averaged, offensively, in the previous four years under Reid, more than 359 yards or 25.1 points per game in the first seven Broncos vs Chiefgames of any given season; they are, this year, ranking third in the league yards and points per game with 392 and 29.6, respectively.
The defense is, allowing 396 yards and 23 points per game, a different story; it is, in fact, the worst it’s ever been through seven contests. That’s the reason, perhaps, that the Chiefs not only lost but failed to cover the sportsbook spread in their last two games. To put it in perspective, KC had not lost back-to-back games since dropping five straight in 2015.
A divisional opponent is, however, as good as chance as the Chiefs are going to have to get back on track, as they are 12-1 SU in their last 13 games against their AFC West brethren. The Chiefs are, moreover, 5-2 ATS in their last seven Monday games, and 10-4 ATS in their last 14 overall.
History isn’t so favorable, though for Kansas City in its head-to-head record with Denver; they have won and covered in just three of their last 10 meetings, but then again, the Broncos bragged living legend QB Peyton Manning. Speaking of whom, the Chiefs own signal-caller Alex Smith is, having thrown 15 TD passes and no picks, five scoring passes short of matching Manning’s record for most touchdown throws without being intercepted.
Alex Smith's Fantasy Performance of the Week.
Presented by @DraftKings https://t.co/HPn3lF3MDj
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 26, 2017
On par with the passing game is the running attack, specifically rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, who has gone over 100 yards from scrimmage in seven consecutive games, a league record. Tyreek Hill requires, of course, no introduction. On defense, they have the universally hated – not excluding Kansas City – Marcus Peters, who is reviled for his personality and demeanor but for his defensive prowess. And yet, the Steelers steeled themselves against the offense, while the Raiders raided the defense.
Pittsburgh aside, the Chiefs are accustomed to going over the sportsbook total, doing so in five of this season’s games and nine of their last 11. “There’s always a little positive within the negative. It’s hard right now, because you went 5-0 and then you have two losses and it seems like the whole world is falling apart. But in reality that’s not the case,” Reid concluded.