The Kansas City Chiefs took an ugly loss at home this past Sunday, falling to the inconsistent Pittsburgh Steelers by a 19-13 score. The AFC West leaders take their 5-1 record to Oakland, where they face a 2-4 Oakland team that is riding its first four-game losing streak since 2014. The Chiefs have a chance to develop some real separation in their division, as the Chargers and Broncos are also struggling. Can Derek Carr play better in his second week after returning from a back injury and help the Raiders make a statement? Or will the Chiefs push the Raiders farther into that deep hole they’ve dug for themselves? Check out our NFL betting preview for this Thursday night prime-time matchup, along with the latest NFL odds for Week 7.
The Oakland defense held for most of the game but could not get a stop late when they needed it. Phillip Rivers threw for 268 yards in the game, and Melvin Gordon had 150 all-purpose yards, scoring both of the Charger touchdowns. If you like the Raiders in this game, then you see them getting their swagger back on both sides of the ball, and you see Carr stepping into his throws with more authority. You also see the Raider ground game getting back up and running.
Kansas City at Oakland Week 7 TNF Odds & NFL Betting Pick
When: Thursday, October 19, 2017, 8:25pm ET Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland TV: CBS / NFL Network / Amazon Prime Video Radio: 101 The FOX (Kansas City) / 95.7 The GAME (Oakland) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Betting Odds: Kansas City (-2.5), O/U 47.5“Every play is vital. Every play is important.” ~ Alex Smith pic.twitter.com/FA7uMu102z
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 18, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Cloudy: 15°C/59°F
- Humidity: 85%
- Precipitation: 21%
- Wind: 9 mph SW
- Cloud Cover: 70%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why should you bet on the Chiefs?
Tyreek Hill put up dynamite numbers in the first five games of the season for the season, both with returns and with catches. He entered the concussion protocol during the Pittsburgh game but apparently has been cleared. The question, though, is whether the Chiefs can do a better job managing the line of scrimmage against Oakland. Against the Steelers, they ran for only 28 yards on 15 attempts, with Kareem Hunt carrying the ball nine times for 21 of those yards. So while Alex Smith was able to find receivers down the field, the awful running game meant that Pittsburgh could key on the pass rush — and rushing the passer is something Oakland does well. On defense, the Chiefs didn’t bring much physicality either. The Steelers dominated the line of scrimmage on offense, as Le’Veon Bell carried the ball 32 times for an eye-popping 179 yards. The inability of the Chiefs to slow down Pittsburgh drives meant that they didn’t have as many opportunities to mount scoring drives. If you like the Chiefs, then you think that they make that physicality an important part of their game, and that they can establish the run again in Oakland.Why should you put your money on the Raiders?
Oakland has posted a combined 53 points in their last four games. That’s about the opposite of that video-game speed offense that they showed in the first two games of the season — both wins, coincidentally. Carr missed Week Five with a back injury, but he returned against the Chargers. He didn’t look like he felt 100% yet, going 21 for 30 for 171 yards and a touchdown — but also throwing two interceptions. The team was not able to do much on the ground, which put a lot of pressure on Carr.
The Oakland defense held for most of the game but could not get a stop late when they needed it. Phillip Rivers threw for 268 yards in the game, and Melvin Gordon had 150 all-purpose yards, scoring both of the Charger touchdowns. If you like the Raiders in this game, then you see them getting their swagger back on both sides of the ball, and you see Carr stepping into his throws with more authority. You also see the Raider ground game getting back up and running.
Latest NFL Betting Trends
- Kansas City is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games
- Kansas City is 5-1 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 4 of Kansas City’s last 6 games
- Oakland is 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games
- Oakland is 1-4 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went UNDER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games
