Pro bettors, public on opposite sides of Raiders-Chiefs game
The Raiders-Chiefs game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday shapes up as a “Pros versus Joes” matchup at sportsbooks, where professional sports bettors are backing the home underdogs and the betting public is all over Kansas City.
The Chiefs opened as 10-point favorites. Sharp money on the Raiders has caused the consensus line to drop to 9½, with the South Point at 9 and Circa Sports at 8½.
“We opened that game lower than most of the market at 9½,” Circa sportsbook risk manager Dylan Sullivan said Friday. “We have seen some sharp support for both teams. One of the influencers gave out the Raiders so we are a little heavier on that side. But I expect to see pretty good action at the current number.”
The Westgate SuperBook and Station Sports reported sharp play on the Raiders +10 but expect to need them to cover against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
“The sharp play has been on the Raiders but the public is overwhelmingly on the Chiefs,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “It’s a huge rivalry game and there’s going to be a ton of red at Allegiant on Sunday. There’s no question, when this game kicks off, we are going to be huge Raiders fans.”
The consensus total is 41½, with Circa and the SuperBook at 41. The Chiefs (6-0, 4-1-1 ATS) have gone under in four straight games. The Raiders (2-5, 3-4 ATS) went under in last week’s 20-15 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium but have a 4-3 over-under record overall.
The Raiders are 4-1 underdogs on the money line to win their second straight game against the Chiefs. They won 20-14 at Kansas City last year on Christmas Day.
The Chiefs acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this week in a trade with the Titans. Sullivan said he doesn’t expect Hopkins, 32, to have much of an impact for Kansas City and he can see the Raiders keeping the game close.
“The Raiders have played the Chiefs well recently and the Chiefs offense isn’t very good right now,” Sullivan said. “I think the Raiders can hang as long as (quarterback Gardner) Minshew allows them to.”
Best bet
Former Raiders broadcaster Brent Musburger is on a 13-2 cover streak in the Review-Journal NFL Challenge. He made the Chiefs his best bet this week.
“Kansas City owns Allegiant Stadium. The Chiefs are 5-0 (there), including the Super Bowl last February,” Musburger said. “Their 4-0 record over the Raiders in Las Vegas shows an average score of 34.5 to 18.75 and three covers.
“Legend is that a construction worker and Chiefs fan buried their flag under the 50-yard line when Allegiant was being built. I never bet against mythology. Chiefs cover 10.”
Kansas City has won 16 of its last 19 meetings with the Raiders, including six of the last seven. The Raiders have lost three straight games overall, but got a backdoor cover last week with a late field goal against the Rams that bailed out the books.
“This will be one of those weeks that we really need the Raiders to cover,” Esposito said “Just like last week.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.