Raiders vs Chiefs: NFL Week 18 preview, best bets, how to watch, more

The Kansas City Chiefs go into this game with the AFC West locked up and a win against the flailing Raiders would secure them the #1 seed in the AFC as well as home-field advantage and a first-round bye (rescheduling dependent). The Raiders might not go into this game swinging with everything they have, but one man will be and that’s enough to make this interesting.

How to Watch:

Where: Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
When: Saturday January 7th, 4:05PM EST
How: ESPN, NFL Gamepass

Betting odds:

Moneyline: LV +330 | KC -425
Against the spread: LV +9 | KC -9
Over/Under: 42.5 points

Game Preview:

The Kansas City Chiefs will be going into this game wanting to get in and get out early. Start hot, build a solid lead and try to rest some starters for the playoff run ahead. From a Las Vegas perspective, this game might not carry playoff implications, but it will impact their off-season.

Jarrett Stidham had an electric first start in the NFL, forcing overtime against a vaunted Niners defense, tossing 3 touchdowns and 2 picks and accounting for over 360 passing yards. That should have ignited some confidence, but a big performance against the Chiefs would really give the Raiders an off-season conundrum.

It should be noted that Stidham being traded to Las Vegas was actually pretty significant as it re-aligned him with Josh McDaniels, whom he spent two years under in New England. Stidham’s had a bumpy road in the NFL up to this point, but if he can really thrive under the former Pats offensive coordinator, then who’s to say that the Raiders won’t take a flyer on him in 2023?

From a betting perspective, it should be noted that the Raiders have actually covered 5 of their last 7 spreads. They’re playing at home which should provide some sort of buffer, and a two-possession margin is key. However, Las Vegas rank s26th in total defense and faces arguably the most lethal offense in the entire league. Can Jarrett Stidham really keep up with Patrick Mahomes?

Betting pick:

Well, Vegas seems to think so.

The total for this game is 53 points, which is absurdly high. They’re obviously anticipating a heated exchange between the two sides and with that in mind along with the stat that Las Vegas is somehow a perfect 6-0 ATS vs teams with a winning record, I’m going to back Las Vegas to cover the spread here.