The Kansas City Chiefs just keep winning. And winning. And it has them sitting near the top of the best betting options to win the Super Bowl. Again.
However, a nagging question has bubbled to the surface in recent weeks: Is the wide receiver rotation talented enough? And deep enough? The answer, surprisingly, isn’t quite clear. In fact, it remains without a decided verdict as the Chiefs enter their Week 7 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, on Sunday, October 22, at 4:25 p.m. eastern standard time, on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, Missouri. Frankly, that’s a little concerning. Then again, it has not stopped the latest NFL online betting odds from picking Kansas City to beat Los Angeles:
Remember to double-check these online NFL betting lines until you actually have submitted your wager. Our Chiefs vs. Chargers Week 7 betting odds are accurate as of Monday, October 16. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to implement any adjustments relative to how the mid-week wagering market shapes out.
For what it’s worth, we wouldn’t expect any major tweaks to the Chargers vs. Chiefs betting lines. Kansas City is going to be without emergent wide receiver Justin Watson, but his absence already seems like it’s baked into the odds. So, do we just blindly trust the Chiefs, as is our tendency around these parts? Or are the Chargers more dangerous than expected?
The Kansas City Chiefs Offense is Dealing with Consistency and Injury Issues
Many might think concerns over the Chiefs’ offense are too nitpicky. They rank ninth in points per game. And star tight end Travis Kelce wasn’t available in Week 1. But the issues go a little deeper than one week skewing the returns. Kansas City receivers have dropped a bunch of balls and limited Patrick Mahomes’ number of reliable downfield threats.
Watson’s absence will hurt in the downfield department more than anything else. The Chiefs can have Rashee Rice take on more duty in the slot, but their next best deep-ball option is probably Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has never displayed the cleanest chemistry with Mahomes.
This could all prove problematic against the Chargers. Indeed, Los Angeles ranks bottom of the barrel in interceptions forced, passing yards allowed per attempt and touchdowns surrendered through the air. The Chargers are, however, also third in opponent conversion rate on third down and rank fifth in red zone defense. They are not a defense Mahomes can hope to simply pick apart by relying on Rice and Kelce exclusively.
Of course, the Chiefs defense has been no joke. They don’t force a ton of interceptions, but they rank inside the top seven of net yards allowed per passing attempt and touchdowns allowed through the air. Kansas City has also been solid defending third downs and in the red zone, not unlike Los Angeles.
Overall, we’re not quite sure the Chiefs deserve to be this favored. But they are playing at home, and the Chargers are working off a shorter week following their appearance on NFL Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.
OSB Prediction:
How Comfortable will Kansas City's Victory Be?
Here are the latest NFL point spread betting lines for Chiefs vs. Chargers:
- Kansas City Chiefs, -6.5 (-110)
- Los Angeles Chargers, +6.5 (-110)
Our first inclination is to pick the Chargers to cover against the Chiefs. After all, to Kansas City’s credit, two of their first three home games have ended in double-digit victories.
But the Chargers’ own offense ranks in the top five of all the major statistical categories for passing. They have also generated the sixth-most rushing touchdowns of any team in the league.
Kansas City’s defense has been hellacious, but can the Chiefs create enough offensive separation when they’re down one of their top-three receiving options? It could make them more reliant on the ground game.
Perhaps that’s not a problem. The Chargers defense has not excelled, for the most part, at stopping the run. Plus, the Chiefs have now been held to under 30 points in three straight games. Kansas City has not been limited to under 30 points in four straight games since the middle of the 2017 season. We’re banking on them scoring just enough to cover.
OSB Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs, -6.5
Will the Chiefs and Chargers Score Enough Points to Hit the “Over?”
The Week 7 NFL slate is littered with a bunch of over/under lines in the 30s. The Chiefs vs. Chargers over/under betting lines is among the exceptions:
- Over 44.5 (-110)
- Under 44.5 (-110)
Truthfully, it’s tough to make sense of this one. Only one of the Chiefs’ past three games have cleared 44 points, and their offense is even more shorthanded in Week 7. The Chargers themselves also haven’t seen too many of their games explode on the scoreboard.
On the heels of much deliberation, our inclination is to trust the Chiefs defense and favor the “under.” But the flimsiness of Los Angeles’ passing defense has us wondering whether this is a week in which Kansas City turns the game into a certified shootout.
The latter inkling wins out in the end. The Chargers have enough talent on offense to put pressure on the Chiefs defense. Kansas City, in turn, will be forced to move the chains with urgency. Give us the “over” unless it creeps closer to 48.5 in the coming days.
OSB Prediction: Over 44.5 (-110)
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