Kansas City vs Los Angeles Chargers TNF

The Kansas City Chiefs could all but wrap up yet another AFC West title if they beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night to kick off NFL Week 15. The Chiefs are road favorites on the NFL odds.

How to Bet Chiefs at Chargers NFL Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, 8:20 PM ET
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV: FOX/NFL Network
Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
Stream Option: Fox Sports Go
Opening NFL Lines: Chiefs -4 (total 51.5)

First Meeting

In Week 3, the Chiefs were upset 30-24 at home by the Chargers. Tied at 24 late in the game, the Chargers were able to march into Kansas City territory and facing a pivotal 4th-and-9, the Bolts elected to go for it and were able to convert after defensive pass interference was called on the Chiefs. A few plays later Justin Herbert found Mike Williams on a four-yard TD pass for the win. With time expiring, KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes launched a deep pass near the end zone that was incomplete.

Why Bet on Kansas City?

Kansas City (9-4) won its sixth straight game Sunday, 48-9 over the Raiders. Kansas City raced out to a huge lead, tallying 35 points before the Raiders even crossed midfield offensively. It marked the first time that Kansas City recorded 35+ points in the first half of a game since Week 3 of the 2018 season, and the Chiefs’ 32-point lead heading into the break was their largest halftime advantage since 2004. Additionally, it matched the fourth-largest halftime lead in franchise history.

Patrick Mahomes completed 20 of 24 pass attempts (83.3 percent) for 258 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 139.2 rating. Mahomes has 10 career games with a passer rating of 130-or-higher (minimum 20 attempts) and surpassed Kurt Warner (nine games), Deshaun Watson (nine) and Russell Wilson (nine) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first five seasons all-time.

The five-year veteran also made some franchise history on Sunday, moving past Alex Smith for the third-most passing yards in a Chiefs’ uniform (17,794). Mahomes now trails only Len Dawson (28,507) and Trent Green (21,459) in the franchise record books.

In three career starts on Thursday Night Football, Mahomes has passed for six touchdowns against no interceptions with a 119.5 rating. He enters Week 15 ranking fourth in the league with 3,642 passing yards and can join Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in four of their first five seasons.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed 10 times for 37 yards and two touchdowns, adding three receptions for five yards. Edwards-Helaire had a chance for a bigger day, but he fumbled an exchange at the goal line. Following that mistake, Darrel Williams got a goal line carry that he nearly scored on, and then Williams stayed in for the next play, a quick pass touchdown to Josh Gordon.

Gordon caught 2-of-3 targets for nine yards and a touchdown Sunday, but Gordon was placed on the COVID list this week and won’t play Thursday. Gordon scored his first Chiefs touchdown in Sunday’s humiliation of the Raiders, but he has caught just four passes in nine games.

Kansas City, which allowed seven points in Week 9 and nine points in both Week 11 and Week 13, is the first team since the 2014 Seattle Seahawks (Weeks 12-13, Weeks 15-17) to allow fewer than 10 points four times in a five-game span. Some bad news, though, as Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones has landed in COVID protocols and now likely won’t play Thursday.

Why Bet on Los Angeles?

The Chargers routed the Giants 37-21 on Sunday as Justin Herbert passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 133.1 rating. Herbert has 8,158 passing yards and 61 touchdown passes in his first two seasons. He is the fourth-youngest player to reach 8,000 passing yards in NFL history.

Herbert is the second-youngest player to reach 60 career touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Dan Marino 23 years, 78 days) reached the mark at a younger age. Herbert, who had an NFL rookie record 31 touchdown passes last season, has 30 touchdown passes this season and is the first player ever with at least 30 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons.

Linebacker Joey Bosa had a sack and his career-high fifth forced fumble of the season last week. He has a sack in five of his past six games and a forced fumble in two of his past three. Bosa leads the team with 8.5 sacks and seeks his fourth-career 10-sack season

Star running back Austin Ekeler left Sunday’s win with an ankle injury but his team had the game all but sealed by halftime so he didn’t need to see the field again. Chargers coach Brandon Staley said Ekeler is “fine” so he should play Thursday. A few notables did not play against New York, star safety Derwin James and wide receiver Keenan Allen. James, who popped up on the injury report a day before the Week 13 matchup with a hamstring issue, is currently day-to-day. Allen was in COVID protocols but should play Thursday.

However, excellent rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater will not play as he’s on the COVID list. The Chargers already having to play with two backups on the right side, but now they may be without their best offensive lineman to protect Herbert’s backside.

The Chargers have won nine of the past 17 home games against the Chiefs, with an all-time regular-season home record of 31-28-1. The Bolts have played the Chiefs three times on Thursday, holding a 2-1 advantage in those games.

Game Trends

Chiefs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Chiefs are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Chiefs are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 vs. AFC.
Chargers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
Chargers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. AFC West.
Chiefs are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings.