Chiefs to open quest for three-peat against Ravens in NFL Kickoff Game

A rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship Game will kick off the 2024 NFL season.

The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Baltimore Ravens in the season-opening matchup, the league announced Monday. The game will take place on Thursday, Sept. 5, continuing the tradition of the defending Super Bowl champion hosting the first game of the NFL’s regular season.

Kansas City won the battle the last time the two teams met, picking up a 17-10 win in Baltimore to advance to Super Bowl LVIII. The Chiefs went on to beat the San Francisco 49ers to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy, becoming the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

As the Chiefs will celebrate their Super Bowl LVIII win one last time during the pregame ceremonies of the Kickoff Game, they’ll turn their attention to trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce remain in the fold. As does Chris Jones, who signed a lucrative extension to remain in Kansas City this offseason. The Chiefs also added veteran wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in free agency and receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the draft.

However, the Chiefs lost standout corner L’Jarius Sneed over the offseason, trading him to the Tennessee Titans. The status of wide receiver Rashee Rice for the opener is also in question as he’s been involved in multiple legal issues this offseason.

The Ravens, meanwhile, are looking to finally get over the hump with Lamar Jackson in 2024. He won his second MVP last season, leading Baltimore to a 13-4 record. The Ravens notably added running back Derrick Henry in free agency this offseason.

Mahomes’ Chiefs are 4-1 all-time against Jackson’s Ravens. The Chiefs won the last matchup in Arrowhead Stadium between the two teams, defeating the Ravens 33-28 in 2019. The Ravens haven’t won in Kansas City since 2012, the year prior to Andy Reid becoming the Chiefs’ head coach.

 Who can dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC?

As last season was the third Super Bowl win for the Chiefs in the Mahomes era, this will mark the third time they’ve hosted the NFL’s Kickoff Game. They defeated the Houston Texans in 2020 but were upset by the Detroit Lions last year, marking the second straight season in which the home team lost the Kickoff Game.

From a betting perspective, the Chiefs have opened up as 2.5-point favorites for the Kickoff Game on FanDuel Sportsbook. The total is currently set at 49.5.

The entirety of the 2024 NFL regular schedule will be released on Wednesday.