The Spread Sharp Report: Bettors Not Exactly Torn On Chiefs-Chargers Matchup
Kansas City represents the most bets and money just about everywhere
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs seemed to enter the 2022 NFL campaign as a forgotten party given the offseason improvements elsewhere in the AFC West. Well, Mahomes and the Chiefs put forth quite the return with a Week 1 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals, and it seems to have made realize Kansas City's dominance isn't over yet.
The Chiefs have their first AFC West divisional matchup of the season on "Thursday Night Football" with the Los Angeles Chargers arriving at Arrowhead Stadium. And bettors have overwhelmingly backed Mahomes and company in a clash that's sure to feature standout quarterback play with Justin Herbert on the opposite sideline.
The Chiefs, a four-point home favorite, represent the majority of spread bets, spread handle, moneyline bets and moneyline handle across major sportsbooks. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Chiefs are responsible for 78% of the spread handle and 76% of spread bets along with 63% of moneyline bets and 61% of money wagered on the outcome. BetMGM Sportsbook revealed Kansas City has received 80% of the spread handle and 79% of spread bets, along with a noteworthy 84% of the money wagered on the moneyline. It's a similar story on PointsBet Sportsbook, too, with Andy Reid's team accounting for 72% of the spread money and 73% of the moneyline handle.
It's noteworthy considering Thursday's contest is against a Chargers team that, while injured with Keenan Allen out and J.C. Jackson a game-time decision, entered the campaign as one of the more popular Super Bowl futures. Los Angeles is coming off a divisional victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, though they didn't make their win look as easy as Kansas City.
Given that Mahomes, Herbert and their respective offenses present the potential to score a ton of points, it's not much of a surprise to see the Over as a popular wager. DraftKings has received 73% of bets on Over 54 while BetMGM has 74% of the handle and 67% of bets on Over 54.5. The handle, however, isn't the same everywhere as DraftKings received 66% on Under 54 with a more even 49% of the money at PointsBet also on Under 54.
It's worth noting, though, that since 1990 totals of 54.5 or more on "Thursday Night Football" are 7-0 on the Under, and have gone under by 13.8 points per game, as shared by Action Network.
For those looking to stay away from betting a side or total, there are a handful of popular player props given the offensive talents to take the field. Some of the most best player props on DraftKings include Mahomes Over 2.5 passing touchdowns (+105), Herbert Over 1.5 passing touchdowns (-245), Herbert Over 282.5 passing yards (-135) and Mahomes Over 0.5 interceptions (-155). Those placing prop bets at BetMGM can't stop firing on Travis Kelce, either. The Chiefs tight end is responsible for the three most popular props including Kelce to score the first touchdown (+550), Kelce to score an anytime touchdown (-190) and Kelce to record Over 76.5 receiving yards (-115).
Chiefs-Chargers is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
