The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker to the Ravens on Sunday Night Football behind a brutal defense and a poorly timed fumble. Can Kansas City bounce back, at home, against the Chargers? Let’s take a look at the NFL odds for this match.
Sunday, September 26, 2021 – 01:00 PM EDT at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
The Chiefs lost on Sunday Night Football and are now 1-1 to start the year. The former AFC Champions haven’t looked nearly as effective this season thanks to a terrible defense. At this point, the worst offense in the league has a chance to shine against this defense.
The Chiefs’ opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, certainly have a chance to explode offensively against the Chiefs. The question is, can they get stops on the defensive end? The Chargers are also 1-1 on the year and have played two very close games to start the season. Los Angeles escaped Washington last week, 20-16 but lost on a walk-off, game-winning field goal by the Cowboys last week, in a 20-17 defeat.
The Chargers have done some solid things on the offensive end. They’re averaging 430 yards per game along with 18.5 points per game. The points should be a bit higher in comparison to the yardage they’ve gained. Quarterback Justin Herbert has plenty of weapons at receiver but the pass protection has hurt his ability to score points. Meanwhile, the defense has only allowed 18 points per game but there’s some areas where they’ll have to improve. The rushing defense has allowed 162 yards per game and the tackling has been subpar.
Against the Chiefs, more missed tackles are in play here. The Chiefs, on the other hand, haven’t had the best protection either for their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. The running game has also been ineffective, averaging just 67.5 yards per game this season. Still, the offense is scoring 34 points per game and looks completely fine, even with a bad offensive line.
The defense needs work for the Chiefs. They’ve allowed 482 yards per game along with 32.5 points per game. The rushing defense has been abysmal, as they’ve allowed 202 yards per game on the ground this season. The tackling could also be better. Really, the entire defense has looked poor through two weeks this year.
After watching the Chiefs play defense these first two weeks of the season, it’s fair to think that the Chargers can score some points. The issue with the Chargers is that they haven’t been able to capitalize on many drives this season. They’re gaining yards but not scoring points.
The Chargers need to finish drives while the Chiefs need better protection. For the Chiefs, better protection would be the icing on the cake. The offense has worked well via their playmakers. Even with Tyreek Hill being silent in Week 2, the Chiefs still found a way to score plenty of points against the Ravens.
Right now, if the Chiefs are playing and the total is not greater than 60 points, you have to think about taking the over at top sportsbooks. The Chiefs are going to score plenty but also give up plenty until adjustments are made. Adjustments don’t just happen overnight. For our NFL picks, let’s take the Over 55.5 in this matchup between the Chiefs and Chargers.
NFL Pick: Over 55.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.