Well, the NFL season is kicking into high gear sooner than expected, with a marquee matchup in Week 2 between two of the most exciting quarterbacks in the AFC. If you thought Week 1's battle between the Rams and Bills was something, wait until Patrick Mahomes leads his Chiefs into an Arrowhead Stadium showdown with Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
Lucky for you, there are several betting plays we like for this one. So let's dive in before Arrowhead gets so loud we can't think.
The Spread: Chiefs -4
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Heavy betting on the Chiefs moved this spread from -3 up to -4.5. L.A. bettors moved it back down some and as of the time of this article has settled a -4. The Chiefs are at home, and Mahomes is a proven Super Bowl-winning quarterback. But I like the Chargers in this one. Despite all of KC's success, this divisional matchup is fairly even. KC has won three of their last five meetings, but two of those needed OT to get there.
The Chargers have won three of their last four games at Arrowhead, as well. The safe bet would be to take the points as long as they stay above a three-point deficit. I am going to roll the dice and place my money on Justin Herbert and the Chargers to get the job done against the Chiefs.
Bet: Chargers ML +175
Over/Under 54
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I did pretty well hitting the under in both Thursday and Monday night games in Week 1, and it's tempting to roll the dice on it here. However, in this kind of game, with these types of QBs, you just want to root for the shootout. Three of the last five meetings between these two have hit this over, with a fourth hitting the push. That means just one in the last five has gone under the total of 54. The Chargers have a good defense and their secondary projects to be one of the best in the league this year. That could frustrate Mahomes, but I like these two gunslingers to put on a Prime-time show on Amazon Prime.
Bet: Over
Prop Bets
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Justin Herbert Over 284.5 yards passing
Justin Herbert has been a stellar quarterback since coming into the league in 2020. His Chargers just haven't accomplished what Josh Allen and Pat Mahomes were able to do with their respective teams. But Herbert is a star, and his arm talent is one of the best in the league. I think this will be a statement game for Herbert in prime time. He has already hit this total twice in the last two seasons against KC. Herbert also owns the NFL record for passing yards in his first two seasons. If this becomes a shootout, it's hard to see this not going over.
Austin Ekeler Over 4.5 receptions
The Chargers will be without No. 1 wideout Keenan Allen in this one, so we should see Ekeler get more targets out of the backfield. The Chargers running back had the second most receptions out of all rushers in 2021, and he was just shy of this total last week with four. Look for Ekeler to easily surpass 4.5 receptions this week.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Over 55.5 receiving yards
I'll be honest, I was shying away from this one, but here's the rub. JuJu had six receptions on eight targets for 79 yards in his first game as a Chief in Week 1. His two fumbles in the second half are concerning, but the Chargers should get enough pressure on Mahomes to force some quick throws to the slot. JuJu is a Pro Bowl wideout and should be able to shake off his shaky Week 1 performance, and we could see him going off in this one. Especially if this games enters shootout territory.
