NFL Football: Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs Prediction, Odds and Preview - 09/15/2022

 

Game Time: 4:25 PM EDT,  Thursday, September 15th, 2022

Venue:  GHEA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Missouri

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime… This will be the least watched game of the last 10 seasons. Old heads will not find a sudden need to get Amazon Prime and young people would rather watch Ru Paul lip sync an old BeeGees song. Too much too soon.  Thursday disaster.

 

FanDuel:  Chiefs -3.5; 54.5 O/U

BetMGM: Chiefs -3.5; 54.5 O/U

PointsBet:   

Chargers: (2021-2022) 9-8, 3rd in AFC West; 1-0 this season

Chiefs: (2021-2022) 12-5, 1st in AFC West; 1-0 this season

An immediate AFC West matchup between the only undefeated AFC West Teams (Broncos still to play)… It is also between the top young quarterbacks in the league.  There is so much to unpack in this game…. There is a Great Betting Opportunity somewhere.  There is offense versus offense versus improving defense versus improving defense.   Let’s check the numbers and make a solid betting prediction.

The Los Angeles Chargers have won 1 game this season and played 1 game.  They beat the Las Vegas Raiders in what we are supposed to use as an indictment of how the division will go…. It’s not.  Everyone in this division is good.  The Chargers scored 24 points to the Raiders 19 points The Chargers covered the spread of -3.5 and won gamblers that went with them some coin.  Better than that they looked capable of getting “the big ones”.  QB Justin Herbert threw 26 of 34 for 279 yards and 3 TDs.  The Chargers defense scooped 3 interceptions out of the air on Raiders QB Derek Carr… for the score to be this close after a performance like that should give a Chargers fan pause.  QB Justin Herbert put the ball everywhere… he hit DeAndre Carter for 64 yards, 1 TD, Gerald Everett for 54 yards 1 TD, and Keenan Allen for 66 yards and 1 TD.  It was a day of hitting everyone.  Hitting the whole field with quality passes is Justin Herbert’s strength…. Which should make you wonder about a defense that couldn’t keep the Chargers up by more than 7 at any time of the game.  

The Kansas City Chiefs have won 1 game this season and played 1 game.  QB Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and 5 TDs while beating the Arizona Cardinals 44-21.  They covered the spread easily and had a field day against the new, young, rich, QB Kyler Murray.  The Magic of Mahomes on opening day games is that he has passed for 18 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions.  Mahomes has been on point.  In fact in every opening day game for Mahomes you easily see why he was called the best quarterback of his generation. “I'm just a guy from Texas Tech they said couldn't play in the NFL,” Mahomes said. “I've always had that mindset of proving we're the  Kansas City Chiefs, we still can win the AFC Championship, win the AFC West and win the Super Bowl.”

This is the matchup to watch closely… even when these teams are on to different squads next week.  The Chiefs have made the promise of many AFC Championships if not Super Bowls and the Chargers have made the promise of getting close to or better than the Chiefs.  So one of these teams will have to give.

 

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LAC: 1-0, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U

KC: 1-0, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U

The Chargers finished last season ranked 4th in total yards with 390.2 per game, 2nd in passing yards with 282.4 yards per game, and 5th in points scored with 27.9 per game.

The Chiefs finished last season ranked 3rd in total yards with 396.8 per game, 4th in passing yards with 281.8 yards per game, and 4th in points scored with 28.2 per game.

The Chargers were not a real contender last season because of the Defense that finished the year ranked 23rd in yards allowed with 360.1 per game, 12th in passing yards allowed with 221.2 per game, and 29th in defending points by allowing 27 points per game.  The Defense forced the Chargers into shootouts with thin margins for success all season.

The Chiefs suffered a similar problem as the Chargers.  Last season the defense was bunk.  They ranked 27th in total yards allowed with 368.9 yards per game, 27th in passing yards with 251.4 allowed per game, and 8th in points allowed with 21.4 points per game.  They won more games than the Chargers solely because of the lucky break of allowing more field goals and less touchdowns… they certainly got exposed a lot.  They will need to show improvement or the record will show a further decline.

 

Our prediction for Thursday, September 15th is…. Chargers 27 - Chiefs 19

 

Yes, the bet is for the Chargers.  The Chiefs are about to find out why the Cardinals were not the best team to start with.  The bar has been set low… the Chiefs are favored but they will lose.  Bet on the Chargers and get ready for the earthquake's aftermath.

 

 

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Chargers: TE D Parham Jr (hamstring) Doubt ** TE S Smartt Out **

Chiefs: OL L Niang OUT ** TE B Bell Out ** 

 

Chargers: QB Justin Herbert.  This team will go exactly as their young, big armed QB goes.  Last season Justin Herbert threw for 5014 yards with 38 TD’s and only 15 interceptions.  His QB rating finished at 97.7 with a 65.9 completion percentage.  The Chargers and this kid are on the precipice of a long run of winning, if given health, finally.

Chiefs: QB Patrick Mahomes.  The Chiefs have been to the promised land with Mahomes leading them there.  He has been proclaimed the “best QB in the league”... Unfortunately he spent the last 2 seasons watching Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford get rings the whole world assumed were going to go to Mahomes.  This season the Challenge Mahomes faces is bring together some new faces for the same old Great results that they had before Tyreek Hill walked for Miami.

 

 

Chargers: QB Justin Herbert, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, WR Joshua Palmer, TE Gerald Everett, FB Zander Horvath, LT Rashawn Slater, LG Matt Feiler, C Corey Linsley, RG Zion Johnson, RT Trey Pipkins

Chiefs:  QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, WR Ju Ju Smith-Schuster, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR Mercole Hardman, TE Travis Kelce, FB Michael Burton, LT Orlando Brown Jr, LG Joe Thuney, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Andrew Wylie

Chargers (2021 stats)

Passing Yards: Justin Herbert 5,014 

Rushing Yards: Austin Ekeler 911

Receiving Yards: Mike Williams 1,146

Chiefs (2021 stats)

Passing Yards: Patrick Mahomes 4,839

Rushing Yards: Darrel Williams 558

Receiving Yards: Tyreek Hill 1,239  (he is gone)

 

 

Partly Cloudy 87*, Humidity 40%, Wind 13 mph.