Steve Starr
- The Kansas City Chiefs are 3.5-point home favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers
- Patrick Mahomes is one of six players in NFL history with at least six career games with five-plus passing touchdowns
- Thursday Night Football makes its regular-season debut on Prime Video on September 15 at 8:15pm ET
This was supposed to be the year Kansas City’s six-year reign over the AFC West came to an end. But, in Week 1, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid announced they had no such plans to relinquish their perch atop of football with a 44-21 blowout victory in Arizona.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers also impressed with a 24-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, they head to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs this Thursday in what promises to be a high-scoring affair.
Before we check the odds on the game, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2022
Chiefs vs Chargers
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +3.5 (-110) | +163 | Ov 54.5 (-110) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -3.5 (-110) | -183 | Un 54.5 (-110) |
No Tyreek, no problem?
With Tyreek Hill in Miami, Patrick Mahomes spread the ball around yard against the Cardinals, completing 76.9% of his passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns on Sunday. The question is whether the Chiefs will find the same success against the Chargers’ revamped defense.
Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack combined for 16 pressures, 4.5 sacks and two turnovers in Los Angeles’ 24-19 win over the Raiders, harassing quarterback Derek Carr at every turn. Kansas City fields one of the best offensive lines in football, but it will be put to the test on Thursday night.
Khalil Mack in his Chargers debut:
⚡ 33 pass-rushing snaps
⚡ 5 pressures
⚡ 3 sacks pic.twitter.com/LGWFU8n6Md— PFF (@PFF) September 12, 2022
Recent history
The Chiefs are 3.5-point home favorites in Arrowhead, where they enjoyed a 7-2 record last season. One of those two losses was to this same Chargers team last September (30-24), which they avenged with a six-point road victory of their own in December.
Justin Herbert threw for 279 yards and three TDs in his season debut, connecting with nine different pass catchers, so he’ll be ready for his showdown with Mahomes.
High scoring affair?
Herbert will likely be without one of his favorite targets as Keenan Allen left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. That should mean more usage for big Mike Williams, who only caught two passes for 10 yards in Week 1. Running back Austin Ekeler also had a quiet day at the office with 72 total yards and no scores.
This wouldn’t seem to bode well against a KC D that held Kyler Murray to under 200 yards passing. But, oddsmakers don’t think scoring will be a problem for either side. The game has the highest point total (54.5) of the week. Likely, because the past three meetings between these two clubs have averaged 58.3 points per game.
Never take Mahomes for granted, such a special talent. pic.twitter.com/ycxjMcdtKP
— Johnny Kinsley (Geno Smith Hive CEO) (@Brickwallblitz) September 12, 2022
Best Bet
As the home team on Thursday Night Football, Kansas City has an advantage on short rest. A new-look offense with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marques Valdes-Scantling also means there will be plenty of tricks left in Andy Reid’s bag this early in the season.
With one of the few offensive lines capable of keeping Mack and Bosa at bay, we like Mahomes and the Chiefs to defeat over Herbert and the Chargers, in a game that exceeds expectations while falling just UNDER the 54.5 total.
Final Score Prediction: Kansas City 28, Chargers 24
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
