The wait is over. College football got us started last weekend, but now, on a lovely Thursday Night, the professionals return. The NFL season kicks off at Arrowhead Stadium, as our defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. There is certainly no love lost between these two teams, as the Chiefs beat the Ravens in Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game last season, propelling them to another Super Bowl victory.
The Mahomes vs Lamar saga continues, as these two have faced off in 5 total games in their careers. Mahomes has certainly gotten the best of Jackson, as he boasts a 4-1 career record over the Ravens, losing by just one point on the road on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs have certainly taken it to the Ravens, and they can’t seem to find an answer for Mahomes and company.
Going into Arrowhead is hard enough, but doing so on banner night to open the season, after the Chiefs lost their home opener last season, this could be a very, very tough task for Lamar and company. Will they struggle tonight in a hostile environment? Or can the Ravens somehow find a way to upset the Chiefs on the road?
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs: AFC Championship Rematch
Can Lamar and the Ravens upset the Chiefs at Arrowhead?
Matchup Information – Ravens vs Chiefs
- Venue & Location: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)
- Date: Thursday, September 5th, 2024
- Kick Off: 8:20pm Eastern
- Broadcast: NBC
Betting Odds
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Spread
- Ravens +3 (-119)
- Chiefs -3 (-101)
Money Line
- Ravens +125
- Chiefs -145
Total
- Over 47 (-110)
- Under 47 (-110)
Will Chiefs Lose Banner Night Two Years Straight?
Can Isiah Pacheco and the Chiefs three peat this season?
Look, you all are aware that I’m a Chiefs homer. So if you want to disregard everything I say, feel free. Be my guest, fade my pick.
I don’t care, and neither does Mahomes.
The dude is a freaking super hero in September. Since becoming an NFL starter, during the month of September, Patrick Mahomes holds the following stats.
Mahomes in September
- 15-4 Record
- 56 Touchdowns
- 6 Interceptions
The man simply starts off the season on fire. Now of course, they lost last year to the Lions to open the season, but that was without Chris Jones and Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs arguably win that game if Kadarius Toney didn’t have bricks for hands. Point being, Mahomes wins games. He might not cover spreads, but he finds a way to get the job done.
Now, Jackson and the Ravens have certainly had this game circled for a while, and they did revamp their running game. Not only do they have elusive QB Lamar Jackson, but adding bulldozer RB Derrick Henry really makes the Ravens tough to stop on the ground. The Chiefs will certainly have their work cut out for them, as they allowed 113.2 rushing yards per game last season, ranking 18th in the NFL. If the Ravens can establish a solid run game, they will be able to milk the clock and keep the best player in football on the sidelines. However, the Chiefs defense can hold their own.
These were actually the top 2 defenses last season in terms of scoring, as the Ravens allowed 16.5 PPG and the Chiefs let up 17.3. Offensively, they were both Top 10 in scoring as well, putting up 22 and 28 points per contest. Will we see a shootout tonight? Or do the defenses come to play in their season opener?
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs Best Bets
Back the Chiefs at home this Thursday
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Like I said, Mahomes doesn’t necessarily always cover the spread, but the man simply puts his team in a position to win games. Whether that be getting the Chiefs into field goal position with 13 seconds on the clock, or sliding at the 2 yard line to seal the game when he has an open touchdown run, Mahomes finds a way to get the victory. He sets the rest of his teammates up for success, and they all feed off his leadership. Throw in the fact that they lost their home opener last season, and I don’t think we see any sort of Championship hangover.
Everyone will be talking about how the Chiefs defense declined with the loss of L’Jarius Sneed, but the young secondary is ready to step up. Trent McDuffie will be the Top corner while 3rd year Joshua Williams will fill in the missing spot. Rookie Safety Jordan Hicks out of Washington State is primed to be involved early, and I believe the Linebacker Unit and D-Line are ready to face this rushing attack.
The tandem of Lamar and Henry could be very dangerous, but Steve Spagnuolo has seen the Ravens plenty and will certainly have his guys ready to go at home. As for the Ravens Defense, it is absolutely solid, but they simply don’t have an answer for Mahomes or Kelce. In 5 games in this era, Mahomes and the Chiefs have put up 29.2 points per game on Baltimore. Mahomes and Kelce have connected for 7.6 receptions on 8.6 targets for 95.6 yards per game in those contests, including 3 total TDs for the duo. Big time players make big time plays in big time games, and Mahomes and Kelce have proven to do that each time they face the Ravens. The same can’t be said about Lamar Jackson. Why should we expect anything to change on Thursday Night?
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