Don’t get burned by K.C.’s breakout RB
There’s always the potential for fireworks when the Chiefs take the stage in prime time — especially when facing the division-rival Raiders. Here are three of our favorite props at BetMGM ahead of Monday night’s contest:
Isiah Pacheco Over 21.5 rushing yards (-115)
Ever since Pacheco turned heads with a strong showing in camp, it’s felt inevitable that the seventh-round pick would carve out a significant role in this Chiefs offense. Five weeks into the season, that time may have already arrived.
The Rutgers product turned 12 carries into 62 yards in his debut, but he saw just five snaps in each of his next two contests as Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon dominated the backfield. It was a different story last week, when Pacheco saw 17 snaps and took advantage with 11 carries for 63 yards.
Clearly, when Pacheco is on the field, the Chiefs want to take advantage of his skill set as a rusher. He looked sharp in last week’s win over Tampa Bay, and I’d expect this coaching staff to find ways to get him involved on Monday in a game that Kansas
City is heavily favored to win.
Travis Kelce Over 6.5 receptions (-115)
As we broke down in our Top Play ahead of Monday’s contest, Kelce is a great bet to exceed his yardage total against a familiar Raiders defense that has struggled to slow him down in the past. Why not play his receptions prop, too?
The All-Pro tight end has logged eight catches in three of his last four games against Las Vegas, and he’s finished with at least seven catches in six of his last nine games against his division rival dating back to 2017. He’s also seen his usage tick up this season without former teammate Tyreek Hill, as his 6.5 catches per game are the secondmost of his eight-year career.
That includes a stellar nine-catch effort last week against the Buccaneers, which sets the stage for a huge day on Monday. The Raiders allowed the ninth-most receptions to opposing tight ends (91) in 2021 and have already surrendered 21 such catches this year, tied for the eighth-most in the league. It won’t get any easier against Kelce.
Daniel Carlson Over 1.5 field goals made [+100]
This may feel like a strange prop to target given all the star power on the field on Monday, but I’m puzzled why oddsmakers decided to hang such a low number for the Raiders’ kicker. Carlson has made two field goals in six straight contests dating back to last season, with at least three made field goals in five of those six games. In fact, since he took over as the team’s primary place-kicker in 2018, he’s made at least two field goals in 36 of 65 games (55.4 percent) — including 28 of 37 games over the last three seasons alone. That’s a whopping 75 percent of his contests since 2020 in which he’s made multiple field goals, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down in usage this year after drilling four of them in last week’s win over the Broncos. Whether the Raiders’ offense lights it up or struggles to move the ball on Monday, I’d still expect Carlson to get his fair share of opportunities to surpass this juicy number.
C Jackson Cowart handicaps the NFL for The Action Network.