The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders in a divisional matchup.
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In their first meetup of the season, the Las Vegas Raiders host the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional matchup that will surely make Chiefs fans a little nervous. Several Chiefs players have been ruled out; Mecole Hardman and Jerick McKinnon did not practice Friday. Things are not looking too good for Kadarius Toney either, but as of right now, he has not been ruled out. For the Raiders, Maxx Crosby did not practice Friday, and while he has not been ruled out, it is doubtful he will play. Also, for the Raiders, Marcus Epps, Kolton Miller, Robert Spillane, and Roderic Teamer are all considered questionable.
The defense for the Chiefs has been the better part of the team all season, steadily improving and showing where they are capable of against the Eagles last week in the first half of the game. The issue is finishing what they start and protecting against the run game. It will be interesting to see how Steve Spagnuolo had prepared for Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders’ offense. If the Chiefs hope to stay alive in the division and the league, they must figure out their offense. Travis Kelce cannot be the only offense the Chiefs have. Patrick Mahomes must ensure all of his receivers are on the same page. So far this season, it is obvious some issues might affect the opportunities the Chiefs have to put games away (like they failed to do with the Eagles).
The Raiders have an issue with turnovers; they have turned the ball over on a league-high 18.3% of their possessions. The Chiefs must take advantage of this to force turnovers and capitalize. Since firing Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas has won two of their last three games entering Sunday. The Raiders must find a way to take advantage of how poorly the Chiefs have been playing in the second half of games.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Start time: 4:25 p.m. EST
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Stadium: Allegiant Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Point Spread: KC -8.5 (-110), LV +8.5 (-110)
Moneyline: KC -485, LV +370
Over/Under: O/U 43.5 KC (-108), LV (-112)
Kansas City has eclipsed the over/under twice in 10 opportunities. The Raiders have been the underdog five times and won one of those games. Despite their issues, the Chiefs are still the favorites to win the game, which might be a low-scoring one.
What To Watch For
A few questions…
- Can Kelce bounce back from the poor performance of the past few games?
- Will Mahomes’ receivers be able to keep the ball in their hands?
- Can the Raiders upset the Chiefs despite Kansas City winning the last 10 of 11 matchups?
- Can the Chiefs keep Davante Adams from the ball? If so, will Josh Jacobs be able to step in and keep the Raiders going?
Keep an eye on…
- O’Connell will need to make sure he is handling the ball carefully against the Chiefs’ defense, especially if the defense that sacked Jalen Hurts five times shows up.
- Jacobs has the opportunity to exploit an issue the Chiefs defense has in defending the run.
- The defense for the Raiders has been improving, and since Week 9, they’ve only allowed 12.7 points per game, which happens to be the third-best in the NFL for that period.
- When Taylor Swift is not there cheering Kelce on, the Chiefs are 3-3, and she will not be there for this game due to her tour.
- Coincidentally, in the four games she’s attended, Kelce averaged 108 receiving yards a game, and in the three losses, he has averaged 41.8 receiving yards. Draw your own conclusions.
- Someone will need to step up in Crosby’s absence. He’s played a massive role in their defensive success. Look to see how the Raiders will make due without him.
Main Image Credit:
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