After five years of Alex Smith as quarterback, the veteran signal-caller was shipped off to Washington in the offseason, meaning the Patrick Mahomes era has officially arrived in Kansas City. Mahomes and the Chiefs will look to start the 2018 NFL season off on a positive note in Week 1 when they travel to the Golden State to renew acquaintances with Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center. Sportsbooks opened the Bolts as 3-point home favorites with a total of 48.
- The Chiefs are 8-0 SU in their last eight games against the Chargers (avg. winning margin: 12.38).
- The total has gone UNDER in the Chargers’ last six games (avg. combined score: 35.0).
- The Chiefs are 16-1 SU in their last 17 games vs divisional opponents.
Chiefs vs Chargers Game Center
Chargers were fade material in the early going a year ago
The Chargers were widely considered to be the best team that didn’t make the playoffs in 2017, and a poor start to the campaign was the biggest reason for that. Los Angeles stumbled out of the gate by going 1-4 SU, while the Chiefs rattled off five wins in a row in that span. The Chargers’ 9-3 finish gave the organization a major boost of confidence, and the team is clearly built to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
According to Sportsbook, the Chargers are the undisputed favorites to win the AFC West. To read more about what oddsmakers are expecting to see in the West, visit Joe Osborne’s article.
Chiefs’ dominance of Chargers is well documented
For some reason, the Chargers simply haven’t been able to get over the hump against the Chiefs. In the past eight matchups between the rivals, Kansas City is a perfect 8-0 with an average winning margin of 12.4 points, with the Bolts’ last win coming when they were still in San Diego four years ago. The Chiefs are also 16-1 SU in their past 17 vs divisional opponents – another trend working in favor of Andy Reid’s squad.
UNDERs the story when these teams get together
Sharp totals bettors will be paying attention to the UNDER in this one, as six of the last eight meetings between the Chiefs and Chargers have gone below the closing total with an average combined score of 40 points. L.A. was a red-hot UNDER wager to close out the 2017 season, evidenced by the Chargers going UNDER the closing total in each of their last six games to end the year – an average combined total of 35.
The Bolts had the NFL’s fourth-ranked offense in total yards last season, but their defense did an excellent job of limiting the damage, and the front office improved the unit in the offseason.
My best bet for Chiefs vs Chargers
Mahomes is a talented, yet raw player and I believe it’s going to take him a little while to become a dependable NFL quarterback. L.A. is on the opposite end of that spectrum with the veteran Rivers in tow, and the Chargers are a much healthier and improved team than the bunch that barely missed out on the playoffs in 2017. I’m going against the trends and picking the Chargers to cover the spread at home.
