Are the Baltimore Ravens or Kansas City Chiefs any good?
Let’s talk about it.
The two 1-2 teams meet Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead and you can probably predict the narratives that’ll flow after the game. The winner will have “saved their season,” while the loser will fall to 1-3 and media platforms across the country will look to cut the cord.
Fun times.
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The Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas opened Baltimore (-2.5, O/U 48.5) as a 3-point favorite Sunday night and the initial push from wise guys showed for the ‘dog. A couple pops on Kansas City +3 edged the line to +2.5 and bettors have fought around the “3” ever since.
“I think the Chiefs should be favored,” longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Kenny White told me. “It sounds like [Xavier] Worthy is back in the mix and that’ll open Kansas City’s offense up. It’s always tough to go into that building and push the Chiefs around.”
White’s projected final score is 28-27 Chiefs.
If you’re keeping score at home, he predicted a 66-point shootout between the Lions and Ravens on Monday night and almost threw a bullseye.
I phoned a friend and reached out to professional bettor Rob Pizzola for his two cents on the matchup. Guys like him are generally thinking two steps ahead, so I wondered if he was angling for a play on the game or a future bet to add to his portfolio.
“No real plans,” Pizzola said.
“I still think the Ravens are the best team in football when fully healthy,” he continued. “I know they got their ass whooped by the Lions, but losing [Nnamdi] Madubuike and [Kyle] Van Noy in that front seven is a big deal for Baltimore.
“I’m concerned for them in the playoffs because Lamar [Jackson] is not a playoff guy, and they don’t have a bonafide pass rusher off the edge. They’ll be fine if they lose this game, but my concerns are much more big-picture.”
Odds to win Super Bowl at DraftKings Sportsbook:
Buffalo Bills: +400
Baltimore Ravens: +600
Philadelphia Eagles: +750
Green Bay Packers: +750
Detroit Lions: +1000
Los Angeles Chargers: +1100
Kansas City Chiefs: +1400
Washington Commanders: +2000
San Francisco 49ers: +2000
Los Angeles Rams: +2000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +2200
Indianapolis Colts: +3000
What about the Chiefs?
“So much uncertainty,” Pizzola admitted. “There’s a very wide range of outcomes.”
More likely to make the AFC Championship or miss the playoffs?
“AFC Championship.”
Last week on my radio show “Bet Sweats,” Joe Ostrowski and I found ourselves discussing parlay bets wheeling the Chiefs to make the playoffs (-190) with other things. For example, the Chiefs and the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA title or the Chiefs with the San Diego Padres to win the World Series. You take something likely to happen and hook it with other things.
Those Chiefs-Thunder and Chiefs-Padres bets pay +420 and +2000.
That’s how I’m attacking Sunday’s puzzle.
Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Watch him on FOX Sports’ Bear Bets and follow him on X @spshoot.
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