Divisional bragging rights will be on the line on Sunday when the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium.
San Diego at Kansas City
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 28, 2014
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Chiefs -2.5. O/U: 42.
PREDICTION: Chargers 27, Chiefs 24
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Oddsmakers currently have the Chiefs listed as 3-point favorites versus the Chargers, while the game’s total is sitting at 42½.
Quarterback Alex Smith passed for a season-best 311 yards in last week’s 20-12 loss to Pittsburgh and has thrown for 3,265 yards overall, marking the first time he has topped 3,000 in back-to-back seasons. Standout rusher Jamaal Charles was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl and is 21 yards from reaching 1,000 rushing yards for the fifth time in his career but played poorly against the Steelers, rushing for 29 yards and losing a key fumble. Outside linebacker Justin Houston, picked to his third Pro Bowl, has an NFL-leading 18 sacks and is two from the club record set by Derrick Thomas (20 in 1990). “We are all pulling for him that he can finish up,” Reid told reporters of Houston’s bid to catch Thomas. “I know that’s not the most important thing for him – he wants to win the game – but at the same time, he sure has done a nice job with it.”
The Chiefs were a 20-12 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Steelers. They failed to cover the +2.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (32) made winners of UNDER bettors.
Team record: 8-7 SU,9-6 ATS
Kansas City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City’s last 11 games
Kansas City is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Rivers has thrown 31 touchdown passes and needs three more to break the franchise career mark of Dan Fouts (254) and is five yards away from his sixth 4,000-yard season. Tight end Antonio Gates continues to climb up the all-time lists: He’s 53 yards from becoming the fourth tight end in history to reach 10,000 receiving yards and his next scoring reception will make the ninth player in NFL history with 100 career TD catches. Cornerback Brandon Flowers has a team-best three interceptions and is eager to clinch a playoff berth against K.C., which released him in the offseason after six seasons with the team. Safety Eric Weddle is headed to his third Pro Bowl and has 109 tackles, his third season with triple-digit stops.
San Diego won its last outing, a 38-35 result against the 49ers on December 20. The Chargers covered in that game as a +1.5-point underdog, while the 73 combined points took the game OVER the total.
San Diego:
Team record: 9-6 SU,7-8 ATS
San Diego is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
San Diego is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
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