Raiders vs Chiefs: Will Las Vegas steal a win on Black Friday?

Don’t let the commercial machine fool you: Thanksgiving, November 28, 2024, is also National French Toast Day. While you were indulging in deep-fried turkey and some form of puréed tuber or root vegetable, spare a thought for all the neglected French toast portions left uneaten on their one day to shine. Think of the toast!

In all seriousness, that opening is about as absurd as the idea of a Black Friday NFL game seemed a decade ago. Yet here we are. The league, always eager to capitalize on fans glued to their couches over the holidays, carved out Black Friday as its latest football showcase. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs will host their first Black Friday game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders. Fans will pack the stands for a chilly showdown, with temperatures forecasted at 37°F at kickoff.

These two teams have already faced off this season, with the Chiefs securing a hard-fought victory over their AFC West rivals. Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II, now sidelined, looked like the better signal-caller at times during that matchup, but Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs did just enough to come out on top. Kansas City’s defense kept the game out of reach until late in the fourth quarter, making the final score closer than the game itself.

Chiefs fans are no strangers to nail-biters, and last Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers was no exception. Kansas City escaped with a 30-27 victory after leading 20-9 at halftime, needing a late field goal to seal the deal. Will Black Friday bring more of the same, or could this AFC West clash be the spark Kansas City needs to shake off its woes and leave the locker room with heads held high?

Matt Conner
So many reinforcements are on the way for the Chiefs, who apparently are feeling as frustrated as the fans with one close call after another. Ten wins in 11 games has never felt this exhausting, even from the outside, but no better place to take out that frustration than at home against the Raiders. Mahomes is on fire and Worthy is ready to break out.
Chiefs 30, Raiders 16

Braden Holecek
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Chiefs defense, arguably their worst two-game stretch in two seasons. The pass rush cannot get home with four. Kansas City's pass defense, outside of Trent McDuffie, has cratered after the Jaylen Watson injury. Can either of those areas show improvement against the Raiders on Black Friday? If so, it will restore even more confidence for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Chiefs 27, Raiders 17

Jacob Milham
We’re well past expecting the Chiefs to be anything other than what they’ve shown us this season. Kansas City is an outstanding team, evident from their talent on the field and league-leading 10-1 record. But wow—most of those wins have been far closer than they needed to be, with one side of the ball consistently playing down to the competition. That’s unlikely to change in this matchup, but at least the defense continues to hold up its end of the bargain.
Chiefs 23, Raiders 16

Shawn O'Brate
After yet another heart attack on Sunday, just 5.5 days before kickoff, I imagine the chiefs offense stays as consistent as they were in Carolina. It’s up the defense to get their heads on straight on a short week and this is the perfect game to do so considering Gardner Minshew is out and both Ridder and O’Connell are about as solid as jell-o in an earthquake. I predict at least 2 takeaways for Spags’ defense and a solid day by Mahomes and company, possibly even another 3+ TD game.
Chiefs 27, Raiders 17

Charles Robinson
Tell me if this stokes some recent traumatic memories - the Raiders travel to Arrowhead as underdogs for a holiday matchup with the Chiefs. Christmas 2023 feels like it was both a lifetime ago and just yesterday. The Chiefs of 2024 are different, but they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they like to keep things interesting. I sound like a broken record, but I like the Chiefs in a close one.
Chiefs 28, Raiders 23

Stacy D. Smith
The Kansas City Chiefs fresh off of more late-game heroics return to Arrowhead for another holiday weekend matchup with the hated rival Las Vegas Raiders. The last time they saw them in such a setting, they lost in embarrassing fashion, but went on a 15-game win streak. The Chiefs already avenged that loss in Week 8 in Arrowhead West. This time, it’s at One Arrowhead Drive and it’ll be less eventful. Patrick Mahomes has another three-touchdown day, Chris Jones gets off the sack schneid, Travis Kelce cooks and the Chiefs win.
Chiefs 27, Raiders 17

Lucas Strozinsky
After last week's near disaster and the hot mess that was Christmas 2023, anything is on the table for Black Friday. I'm picking the Chiefs to win a close one, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they straight up lost or blew the Raiders out.
Chiefs 23, Raiders 18