The NFL regular season will conclude this weekend as week 18 gets underway on Saturday. The Chiefs play at Las Vegas and a win will give KC the one-seed in the AFC playoffs. While the team’s records are world’s apart, many believe the Raiders could give the Chiefs all they can handle on Saturday. Could there be causes for concern as KC tries to lock up the one-seed?
The Chiefs have been wildly successful against the Raiders during Andy Reid’s 10-year tenure in KC, losing only three times (2014, 2016 and 2020) during that span. Patrick Mahomes is 8-1 against Las Vegas during his career thus far.
Chiefs/Raiders 5 causes for concern
- The Chiefs are 2-13-1 in their last 16 games covering the spread against sub .500 teams. The Raiders are 6-10 and are a 9.5 point underdog. Betting history says pound the Raiders today.
- The Raiders have one loss by more than seven point this season. That was back on October 30th to the Saints. While the team has underachieved this year, they are almost ALWAYS in the game until the end.
- The Chiefs were extremely fortunate to win the first game. Few people could forget the scare Las Vegas gave KC on October 10th. The Raiders had a 17-0 lead early on and then had the ball in KC territory late in the game with a chance to win with a field goal.
- The pressure is ALL on KC. This is a major cause for concern. The Raiders are playing for absolutely nothing but a chance at spoiling the Chiefs’ postseason opportunities. The Chiefs almost assuredly HAVE to win this game to get the first round bye and a home playoff game in the divisional round. This could create an emotional advantage for the Raiders who will all be on vacation next week instead of playing in the playoffs.
- The Raiders offense is going to be difficult to stop. The team shut down Derek Carr last week and started Jarrett Stidham who went on to throw for 365 yards with three touchdowns against one of the league’s best defenses in San Francisco.
