by Ian S. Palmer
Join 5Dimes NOW to bet on the NFL online!
The Kansas City Chiefs still have something to play for when they host the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday, January 3 as they can still clinch the West Division and third seed with a win if the Denver Broncos lose to the San Diego Chargers. However, a victory in the season finale won’t be enough to earn a first-round playoff bye since they were beaten by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the season. The Chiefs enter the game in second place in the West at 10-5 while the Broncos lead the division at 11-4. The Chiefs downed Cleveland 17-13 at home in week 16 while the Raiders beat San Diego 23-20 in overtime at home. Oakland sits in third place in the AFC West at 7-8 and were beaten 34-20 by Kansas City back in week 12.
Raiders vs Chiefs – 5Dimes NFL BETTING LINE:
- 5Dimes currently lists the Chiefs at -7.5 at +120 with the Raiders +7.5 at -140 and the over/under at 43.5 points with both of them at -110
The Raiders are hoping to finish the season at .500 and will need a big effort against a team that has won nine games in a row to do so. If Oakland manages to pull it off it will mean they won’t have a losing record for the first time since the 2011 campaign. The Raiders beat San Diego in overtime on Sebastian Janikowski’s 31-yard field goal while quarterback Derek Carr also helped out with a solid outing. Carr threw for a pair of touchdowns and 283 yards against Kansas in week 12, but was picked off three times. The Raiders will also need a big game out of rookie receiver Amari Cooper this weekend.
Join 5Dimes NOW to bet on the NFL online!
Cooper managed just 10 yards on two receptions last week after a 120-yard outing and pair of touchdowns against Green Bay the previous week. Cooper had a decent game against Kansas in their first meeting this season with 69 yards on four receptions. He’s reportedly suffering from a foot injury at the moment though, so he may be hampered by it on Sunday. Oakland may prefer a ground attack since Latavius Murray ran in a touchdown and rushed for 86 yards in week 12. He’s been playing well lately with 157 yards in his last two outings. Oakland has gone 5-2 against the spread in their past seven contests.
The Chiefs are one of the hottest teams in the league and are looking for their 10th straight win to finish the season. They’ve clinched a playoff spot, but can improve their standing with a win on Sunday is the Broncos lose. Quarterback Alex Smith threw for a pair of touchdowns last weekend, but had just 125 yards. However, he did manage to add 54 yards on the ground. Travis Kelce and Jeremy Maclin each caught a touchdown pass as Maclin gained 43 yards and Kelce chipped in with 49. The Chiefs’ backfield carried the ball 27 times for 136 yards with running back Charcandrick West recording 14 carries for 62 yards.
Join 5Dimes NOW to bet on the NFL online!
Smith will be facing a weak passing defense on Sunday as the Raiders concede an average of 266 yards in the air per week. He didn’t take advantage of it in week 12 though as he threw for only 162 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Maclin. The Chiefs’ defense played well in week 12 as they managed to sack Carr four times and intercept him three times with one of them being a pick-six. Kansas City has gone 7-2 against the spread on their current nine-game winning run.
Click here to learn more about NFL BETTING and how to bet on the Raiders vs Chiefs at eBetting101.com.