Chiefs vs. Chargers Prediction, Player Prop Bets & Odds for Sunday, 1/7
There is just one division in the NFL that has absolutely no playoff implications for this final weekend of the regular season - the AFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs are locked into the #3 seed in the conference, and their opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, have been eliminated. Even still, we’ve got our experts’ best Chiefs vs. Chargers prediction and player prop bets for you.
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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS PREDICTION: Over 35 Points (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers Prediction for Sunday's Game
Handicapping games in Week 18 where nothing is on the line can certainly be tough, but we’ve got you covered from multiple angles. Regarding the standard markets, we’re going to avoid the point spread, as trusting either team to win without their starting QB is not a route we want to take.
The Chargers have been without Justin Herbert due to injury, and KC head coach Andy Reid has made the decision to rest Patrick Mahomes with the team locked into their playoff position. With those two studs out, we fully expected oddsmakers to list a rather low total. However, one listed as low as 35 is too much of an overcorrection in our opinion.
Chiefs backup QB Blaine Gabbert has plenty of experience, and paired with an incredible Andy Reid-orchestrated offense, they can absolutely still score on this Chargers defense. LA’s former head coach Brandon Staley was fired for a multitude of reasons, but one of the primary ones was the team’s abysmal defense.
In their last game with Staley as the head coach, they trailed 42-0 at halftime on Thursday Night Football, ultimately allowing 63 points. That was to a non-playoff team in the Las Vegas Raiders, and KC still has enough talent to produce at least half of that. Therefore, our best Chiefs vs. Chargers prediction is over 35 points (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
Player Prop Bets & Picks for Chiefs vs. Chargers Featuring Rashee Rice & Easton Stick
If you’d prefer not to trust things from a team perspective given the unique scenario, we also have Chiefs vs. Chargers player prop bets for you. This can also be difficult in its own right, so be sure to keep an eye on who exactly we’re going to see on the field.
Based on who we’re expecting to still get their reps in, we’re starting with Chiefs WR Rashee Rice. He’s been a breath of fresh air for a WR core that has led the NFL in dropped passes this season. With Gabbert under center, he’s going to need a security blanket, and we expect that to be Rice.
We’re also confident that Rice will get his reps in, as any rookie wants all the experience they can get. He’s barely behind an all-time great in TE Travis Kelce in terms of receiving yards with 938 (Kelce has 984), and a 1,000-yard rookie season would be quite a milestone for Rice. So, we’re kicking off our Chiefs vs. Chargers player prop bets with Rashee Rice over receiving yards at FanDuel Sportsbook.
On the LA side of things, the way to attack the KC defense is on the ground. However, we’re not confident that dual-threat RB Austin Ekeler is going to get his full workload, as he’s already been injury prone the past few years now. With that in mind, we’re simply going to go with someone we know will touch the ball every play - QB Easton Stick.
We won’t act like the North Dakota State product is going to be the next Mahomes, but based on pure volume alone, he can surpass his prop. In fact, the negative public perception also provides a lower prop than we expected. In his three starts, he’s thrown for at least 215 yards, and he has just one pick in the four games he’s played in.
Along with a solid passer rating of 89.7, we’re going to go with Easton Stick over XX passing yards FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Betting Odds, Lines & Spread for Chiefs vs. Chargers With FanDuel
Based on the Chiefs vs. Chargers odds at FanDuel Sportsbook below, a $110 bet on our pick profits $100 as long as there are at least 36 points scored.
Point spread:
- Kansas City Chiefs +3.5 (-108) vs. Los Angeles Chargers -3.5 (-112)
Money line:
- Kansas City Chiefs (+154) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (-185)
Total (over/under):
- Over 35 (-110) vs. Under 35 (-110)
Injury Report for Chiefs vs. Chargers on 1/7
There are going to be quite a few unfamiliar names on the field already, and some household names have also had injury designations this week:
- Isiah Pacheco (KC Chiefs)
- Rashee Rice (KC Chiefs)
- Kadarius Toney (KC Chiefs)
- Travis Kelce (KC Chiefs)
- Chris Jones (KC Chiefs)
- L’Jarius Sneed (KC Chiefs)
- Keenan Allen (LA Chargers)
- Josh Palmer (LA Chargers)
- Zion Johnson (LA Chargers)
- Trey Pipkins III (LA Chargers)
- Nick Williams (LA Chargers)
- Kenneth Murray Jr. (LA Chargers)
- Corey Linsley (LA Chargers)
Chiefs Resting Starters in Week 18?
We mentioned it while breaking down our Chiefs vs. Chargers prediction, but it’s worth reiterating that KC is indeed resting key players, most notably QB Patrick Mahomes. However, we explained why we’re still comfortable backing the over with such a low total listed.
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