NFL predictions, Week 18: KC Chiefs over Raiders for most experts

Most NFL analysts are going with the Kansas City Chiefs in their visit with the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Week 18.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders are scheduled to meet on Saturday afternoon in the final game for both teams and it’s surprising how disparate the trajectories are for both teams. Even after just one season, Josh McDaniels is hoping to retain his job as head coach for the Raiders after a miserable year. For the Chiefs, they’ve won 13 of 16 games even as they’ve looked shaky most weeks in one area or another.

The Chiefs are hoping to tighten some of their problem areas in their final contest before the postseason begins and those ghosts could come back to harm them. Specifically fans will be hoping to see the Chiefs play a clean game when it comes to turnovers and penalties. Special teams play will be under the microscope after yet another error-filled game against the Broncos in Week 17.

That said, the Chiefs might have issues but everyone still expects them to roll over the Raiders in  Week 18. The Raiders have some real talent on both sides of the ball—from Davante Adams to Maxx Crosby—but no one wants to back Jarrett Stidham against Patrick Mahomes no matter how well he looked last week against the 49ers.

At The Sporting News, Bill Bender has the Chiefs by 8 points in a 32-24 final in which he says the Raiders love to play the role of spoiler but he trusts Patrick Mahomes not to allow that to happen.

John Breech of CBS Sports takes things even farther and says “I’d have to be crazy to pick the Raiders” in his weekly NFL predictions for Week 18. Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone thinks Vegas will play the Chiefs a bit tougher, but says K.C. is a safe bet as he predicts them to win by six.

The same can be said over at Pro Football Network’s BJ Rudell, who has the Chiefs as the money line winners here but says to take the Raiders against the current spread (9.5 points). “I’m comfortable with Vegas playing enough starters to keep this one within 10 points.