A triple header of NFL 2023 action on Christmas Day begins with a divisional battle in the AFC West as the champions Kansas City Chiefs could wrap up the division when they play host to the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs will be the champions if they win here and Denver Broncos lose in the Sunday Night Football but even if the Broncos win then Kansas City will have more than a hand on the title with a victory. Mathematically the Raiders can still make the playoffs but they need far too many results to go their way for that to be realistic.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t been as dominant this season as they have been in previous ones, as highlighted by their 9-5 record which only has them sitting third in the AFC standings heading into the week. They are usually pushing for the number one seed by this stage of a campaign or at the very least a top two seeding. They can still make it to those levels but you would imagine they will need to win out to guarantee one of those places.
This is a different Kansas City Chiefs side. They haven’t really smashed it on offense this season. We have become accustomed to them either blowing sides away or winning shootouts but they have been much more structured and contained on offense this term. That has been to the benefit of their defence. It is a better defence than before but the fact they get plenty of time to rest between defensive drives now is helping. Kansas City have lost four of their last seven so their form is mixed in recent times.
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Las Vegas Raiders
Four weeks ago the Las Vegas Raiders were bang in the wildcard mix when they were 5-5 for their season but three defeats at exactly the wrong time pretty much ended their campaign from a competitive standpoint. To their credit they bounced back with one of the most emphatic wins you’ll see against the Los Angeles Chargers last week which would have restored both belief and confidence but they have still left it too late for anything to come from it you would think.
This is a divisional match though and it is a road trip on Christmas Day so you would imagine that will ensure that the Raiders give everything they can for the cause in this one. You sense they are going to need their best offensive stuff with them if they are going to win this match but we have seen all season that these standalone games have thrown up some surprise results so if the Raiders live with their hosts early on you just never know.
Betting
I’ve a feeling that the point line in this one is a little on the low side. I say that because it is a holiday and players are likely to give it that little bit more and look to standout a little to entertain everyone. The spotlight is on this match with no other games going on at the same time and if we think back to Thanksgiving, a day with a similar triple header to this one, we saw three high scoring games and the trend continued in the Black Friday game.
The other thing to factor in here is it is a divisional game so both are going to want to beat the other. While Kansas City aren’t as potent offensively this season, they do appear to turn into monsters whenever Las Vegas are facing them while the Raiders head to Kansas with nothing to lose and no real competitive pressure on them. In Davante Adams the Raiders have a potent threat as well and we don’t need too many special plays for a 40 point line to be covered. I’ll open the day with a punt on the over.
Tips
Back Over 40 points for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Coral
