There’s nothing like coming out of the gate to a good old fashioned AFC West showdown between the division’s top teams in Week 1. A slow start to last season cost the Los Angeles Chargers a shot at winning the division and reaching the postseason, and the Bolts look to continue their torrid play that saw them win nine of their last 12 games. They will need to beat the defending division champs to get over the hump and wins over the Kansas City Chiefs have been hard to come by. The Bolts lost both games last season, extending their losing streak to eight straight.
Watch this NFL regular season Week 1 matchup live on Sunday, September 9, 2018, at 4:05 p.m. ET at StubHub Center.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Kansas City Chiefs +3
Los Angeles Chargers -3
Over/Under 47.5
Odds Analysis
The Chargers have gone the last four seasons without a win over the Chiefs, dropping the last eight matchups while compiling a 2-6 mark ATS. And this is a new experience for the Bolts, who haven’t played as a favorite in the last seven meetings. The Chargers opened at -3 with the total set at 47.5. Two gifted offensive teams played below the total in both games last year and the under is 6-2 in the last eight.
Injury Report
Corey Liuget – Joining the list of suspended players is the Bolts defensive tackle, who’s been a starter on the line since joining the club in 2011. His loss will be felt in the run game after the Chargers ranked dead last by allowing 4.9 yards per carry. They also gave up over 131 rushing yards per game to rank 31st. Look for Kareem Hunt to take his shots against backup Darius Philon.
Hunter Henry – The Chargers felt confident in the development of their tight end that they released Antonio Gates with Henry becoming the favorite target of Philip Rivers in the red zone. But a season-ending knee injury in camp ended those hopes and what was a strength for the team is now a big concern. The Bolts reached out to Gates and brought the veteran back as stop-gap.
Matchup to Watch
Having success against the NFL’s top-ranked passing offense usually requires a defense to have its roles defined. That’s far from the case for the Chiefs, who have a lot of moving parts in their secondary ahead of Sunday’s tilt. They released free agent signee David Amerson, who had a terrible preseason, and put safety Daniel Sorenson on short-term IR. Only three of the 10 defensive backs on the current roster were with the team last season and two arrived just this week.
Rivers is licking his chops at the possibility of facing this secondary. Rivers had one of his best seasons last year throwing for 4,515 yards with 28 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He took a career-low 18 sacks and had enough time to pick out Keenan Allen for 159 targets, of which 102 were completions, for 1,393 yards.
Last Meeting
In what amounted to a winner-take-all battle for the division crown, the Bolts played giveaway and lost their eighth straight to the Chiefs, all but ending their playoff hopes with a frustrating 30-13 loss. Rivers threw three interceptions in the game, two to Marcus Peters, and the Chargers also lost a fumble to thwart any chance at a win.
And once again the Chargers inability to stop the run was a problem. Kareem Hunt ran for 155 yards and the Chiefs totaled 174 for the game. The teams entered the contest with identical records after the Bolts won seven of their previous nine games to climb into playoff contention. However, their failure to beat KC cost them dearly.
Free ATS Pick
For whatever reason there’s always one team that has another’s number. In the case of the Chargers their nemesis is Kansas City. The Chiefs have won eight straight in the series and they’ve owned Rivers in that stretch. Rivers tossed only 10 interceptions last season, but three came in each of the two games with KC. The secondary looks a little different now and Rivers won’t have to look out for Marcus Peters, who tallied three of the picks last year.
The woes are not going to affect the game plan and Rivers will continue to air it out like he always has. The Chiefs are trying to figure things out on the back end and that’s not good against the Bolts. The Chargers will employ their pass rush to keep Patrick Mahomes off balance and the run defense should be better. The Chargers are favored to win the division for a reason, now they need to get by the Chiefs to prove they are contenders.
NFL Betting Odds: Chargers 27, Chiefs 23
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