Chiefs (8-1) at Raiders (6-3)
Sunday, 8:20 ET, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas TV: NBC
Danny Sheridan’s line: Chiefs by 7
Chiefs’ keys to victory: In their first matchup, the Raiders harassed QB Patrick Mahomes all day, which led to erratic play. Look for Kansas City to use more max protections to allow Mahomes more time to find receivers. On defense, the Chiefs have to find a way to slow down the Raiders’ rushing attack. Everything Las Vegas does on offense is built around its inside rushing attack. If the Chiefs can force Vegas into long down-and-distances, their defense should be able to get off the field.
Raiders’ keys to victory: Las Vegas is going to need to continue to take shots down the field to keep up with the Chiefs. In their first meeting, QB Derek Carr was highly efficient and aggressive. On defense, the Raiders have to find a way to get pressure with their front four. They don’t have enough talent in their secondary to blitz, and Las Vegas needs to force Mahomes to throw into tight windows.
Matchup to watch: Raiders TE Darren Waller vs. Chiefs FS Tyrann Mathieu. When the Raiders want to move the chains in the passing game, they look for Waller to do the heavy lifting. The Chiefs will use a variety of defenders, including Mathieu. If Kansas City can slow down Waller, it will shut down Las Vegas’ offense. But if Waller gets going, the Raiders can be awfully hard to stop.
Who wins? While the Raiders have proved to be a quality team, it feels very unlikely they would be able to complete the sweep of the Chiefs. Look for the Raiders to hang around for a while but for the Chiefs to ultimately get the win on the road.
Chiefs 34-24