If familiarity breeds contempt, there should be animosity aplenty on Thursday when the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium.
Denver at Kansas City
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, September 17, 2015
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network.
LINE: Chiefs -3. O/U: 42
PREDICTION: Chiefs 20, Broncos 17
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Oddsmakers currently have the Chiefs listed as 3-point favorites versus the Broncos, while the game’s total is sitting at 42.
Smith has been typecast as a game manager but he got a vote of confidence – “Alex was on the money all day” – from tight end Travis Kelce, who had a huge opening game with six catches for 106 yards and a pair of scores. Running back Jamaal Charles had a relative quiet season debut with 57 yards rushing while matching newcomer Jeremy Maclin with five catches, but he has scored 15 touchdowns in his last 14 games overall. Kansas City yielded an AFC-low 281 points last season and received a boost with the return of linebacker Derrick Johnson, who registered a team-high eight tackles in his first game back after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Kansas City won its last outing, a 27-20 result against the Texans on September 13. The Chiefs covered in that game as a -1-point favorite, while the 47 combined points took the game OVER the total.
Team record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
Kansas City is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
Kansas City is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Kansas City’s last 13 games
Kansas City is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Manning’s arm strength, or lack thereof, has been a hot-button topic throughout the preseason and he finished with only 175 yards without a scoring pass in the opener, but he has thrown for 1,736 yards with 16 TDs versus three interceptions in six meetings against the Chiefs since joining Denver. C.J. Anderson was limited to 29 yards on 12 carries while dealing with a sprained toe, but he was at practice Tuesday night along with star wideout Demaryius Thomas, who suffered a hand injury versus Baltimore. The Broncos’ defense, which produced the lone touchdown in Week 1 on Aqib Talib’s interception return, limited the Ravens to only 173 total yards.
Last time out for Denver, they were a 19-13 winner as they battled the Ravens at home. The Broncos covered in the match as a -4.5-point favorite, while 32 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.
Team record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
Denver is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver’s last 7 games
Denver is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
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