Fresh off of a close game in Carolina last Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will head home to face their AFC West rival, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Against the Panthers, the Chiefs scored enough points to be more than competitive, but the defense struggled against a team that usually does not score often. Luckily for the Chiefs, the Raiders are yet another team with a weak offense, giving the defense another chance to improve. The Raiders are coming off a loss to the Denver Broncos and haven't won a game since September 29.
Since 2021, the Chiefs have been 7-1 against the Raiders, including a 27-20 win this season. The Chiefs have scored 222 points compared to the Raiders' 122 points. In this contest, the Chiefs need to do everything that they should have done against the Panthers. The offense had a great game and put up enough points. Against the Raiders, the defense must hold its own from the beginning and give the offense a chance to breathe.
Game Info
Date: Friday, November 29
Start Time: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Kansas City, Mo
Stadium: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
TV Info: Amazon Prime (Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call)
Chiefs Uniform Info: Red Tops, White Bottoms
Raiders 2024 Statistical Rankings
Points Per Game: 18.7 (26th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 28.5 (29th)
Offensive Yards Per Game: 292.6 (28th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Per Game: 218 (16th) and 74.6 (32nd)
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 327.5 (14th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 208.1 (12th) and 119.5 (14th)
Third Down Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 35.42% (24th) and 41.13% (22nd)
Red Zone Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 50% (25th) and 64.29% (24th)
Penalties: 64 (25th)
Penalty Yards: 510 (25th)
Players Already Ruled Out Before Friday
Raiders: Nate Hobbs (CB), Zamir White (RB)
Chiefs: Spencer Shrader (K)
Las Vegas Raiders
Defense
It's no secret that the Raiders have been below average in most aspects so far this season. They were able to keep the Chiefs to 27 points in their first meeting this season, and keeping them to that score should also be the goal this time.
One of the reasons the Raiders were able to win against the Chiefs last season was their defense. Patrick Mahomes has been sacked at career-high levels, and with a weak offensive line, it can be easy for the Raiders to take advantage of that. Also, if the Raiders can cover Travis Kelce, the esteemed "Raiders Killer" might revert to his normal for this season.
In this contest, the defense needs to try its best to attack the Chiefs early. By getting them off the field quickly, the Raiders' offense will have time to catch up. While a victory might seem out of reach, it's more likely if the defense is in sync.
Offense
The Raiders' offense has been disappointing this season. After starting last season, Aidan O'Connell lost the starting job to Gardner Minshew, starting the quarterback carousel for the team. After Minshew landed on IR and it was announced that he would miss the rest of the season, the Raiders brought O'Connell back from his injury to start against the Chiefs.
Like the defense, the offense has been very below average as well. One thing that they have massively struggled with is the running game. While it might be hard to establish a straightforward run game without Zamir White out and Alexander Mattison questionable, they must do their best.
In this game, the Raiders need to take advantage of the weak spots in the Chiefs' defense. With how chaotic the last two games have been for the Chiefs, there are clear holes that the Raiders can exploit. While a win won't erase the losing season they're having, it can bring a change in attitude to the building that the Raiders desperately need.
Kansas City Chiefs
Defense
While the Chiefs' defense spent most of the beginning of the season, giving the offense time to get back in the game, the last few weeks have been the complete opposite. While the Chiefs didn't exactly give up too many big plays to Bryce Young and the rest of the Panthers' offense, they struggled to get off the field.
This week, the Chiefs will be returning defensive end Charles Omenihu, who suffered a torn ACL last season. With the defense having struggles, getting a fresh face out there will be good.
In this contest, the defense must ensure the Raiders do not score like the Panthers. While both teams were around the same statistically, the Raiders have the worst league record. The Chiefs cannot afford to make the same mistakes as last week.
Offense
Against the Panthers, the Chiefs came out and did what they should've done. While there was room for improvement in the second half of the game, the Chiefs still had more offense than in many previous games.
Patrick Mahomes tied his season high with three touchdown passes against the Panthers. Keeping this momentum is essential to the Chiefs' success for the rest of the season. Additionally, tight end Noah Gray had yet another game in which he caught two touchdown passes. While the offense wasn't exactly successful at the beginning of the season, it's clear that they're clicking just in time for the end of the season and the playoffs.
In this game, the offense needs to take the momentum from last week and keep pushing forward. While they took care of business against the Panthers, it's yet another week where they must do whatever they can to win.
Betting Info
Points Spread: LV +13 (-112) | KC -13 (-108)
Moneyline: LV +500 | KC -700
Over/Under: LV O 42.5 (-110) | KC U 42.5 (-110)
Lines via DraftKings as of Thursday, November 28
Prediction
After last week's shock from the Panthers, it's safe to say that no game for the Chiefs is going to be easy. While last week's game was close, I feel like this one will better represent who the Chiefs are as a team. The defense should be able to come back and attack, and the offense should be able to take advantage of the Raiders' defense.
Final Score: Chiefs 30, Raiders 9
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