Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs-Raiders prediction: Both are trending in right direction but trends favor Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looks for an open receiver in the second half against the Kanas City Sunday, October 11, 2020, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looks for an open receiver in the second half against the Kanas City Sunday, October 11, 2020, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.Chiefs yyossifer@star-telegram.com

Andy Reid after a bye: 18-3.

Chiefs against the AFC West: 29-4 since 2015.

Teams have have defeated Patrick Mahomes twice in the regular season: 0

Many trends favor the Chiefs against the Raiders on Sunday Night Football. One that doesn’t is the Chiefs’ record against the Raiders in 2020 — 0-1.

The Raiders’ 40-32 win at Arrowhead in Week 5 wasn’t a fluke. Las Vegas broke away from a halftime deadlock with 16 straight points and the Chiefs didn’t get a final possession with a chance to tie the game.

The rematch is here. The Chiefs have had an extra week to prepare. There’s even a bit of extra motivation with the Jon Gruden victory lap story.

The signs point to the Chiefs.

Kickoff: 7:20 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

TV//Radio: NBC (Ch. 41), WDAF (106.5 FM)

Line: Chiefs by 8

Blair Kerkhoff’s prediction: Chiefs 34-23

Both teams are hot. The Chiefs (8-1) have won four straight since losing to the Raiders in Week 5. The Raiders (6-3) lost to the Bucs after beating Kansas City but have won three straight since then. Both teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Las Vegas can hurt the Chiefs with a power-run game that controls the clock and keeps Mahomes on the sidelines. When the Chiefs are at their best, they’re scoring in bunches and the defense gets enough pressure to disrupt Derek Carr. Look for that happen and the Chiefs to win by two scores.

This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Chiefs-Raiders prediction: Both are trending in right direction but trends favor Chiefs."

Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER