Chiefs news: KC favored by 7.5 over Raiders in Week 18

Let’s look at the early odds for the Week 18 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming into the final week of the regular season with something to prove. Josh McDaniels’ team played tougher than anyone expected against one of the NFL’s best defenses a week ago and now this same unit will be fired up to prove something against their longstanding rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jarrett Stidham is under center in place of Derek Carr as the Raiders are clearly ready to move on to someone to carry their offense forward. He looked good last week, but one game doesn’t make a career and the Raiders will be taking notes as he faces Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and tries to keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense.

The Chiefs are opening this week as 7.5 favorites over the Raiders. That might not seem that much but a home team typically gets a three-point boost for holding court, so this would be a 10.5 point spread at Arrowhead.

Not that it matters all that much because the Chiefs have had major issues with the spread this year. They were heavily favored over the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos within the last few weeks and had major problems with both.

The over/under here is at 52.5 points and that feels like a lot. While the Raiders put up a ton against the Niners a week ago, it’s hard to believe the Raiders can do it again—at least at that level. Instead of a shootout, the Chiefs defense should be locked in for a better overall performance as they tune-up for the postseason.

What’s trending in KC Chiefs news

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney added deep routes to his arsenal (Chiefs Wire)

It’s clear that Toney is coming on strong as he gets further from the hamstring injury that knocked him out in November. That’s good news for a Chiefs team that has missed Mecole Hardman’s presence on the field in a year after they also traded Tyreek Hill.

Chiefs change schedule out of respect for Damar Hamlin (KSN.com)

The entire NFL has been making changes, large and small, to respond to the tragedy facing Damar Hamlin as he continues to battle for his life. The Chiefs’ aversion to generating another round of press quotes for the sake of keeping news desks clear for anything on Hamlin was a nice touch from the team’s PR office.