Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs Week 10 prediction on the winner and vs. spread
The question was asked after the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 33-22: Is it time to take this Raiders team seriously when it comes to the NFL playoff picture?
Well, after the bye week, the Raiders went to New Jersey and put forth a clunker of an effort in a 23-16 loss to the New York Giants. Derek Carr committed two key turnovers.
That was a bad loss, but the Raiders can turn it into a distant memory with a win Sunday.
The Raiders enter an AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs at 5-3. The Chiefs are coming off a 13-6 win over Green Bay to put them at 5-4.
While we’re not calling this a must-win for the Raiders, it would certainly help their cause with other big games looming, including one at home against the Cincinnati Bengals and another on the road on Thanksgiving versus the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders are 1-1 versus AFC West teams this season, and a win over the Chiefs would be huge like the one they pulled off in their game at Arrowhead Stadium in October of last season. The Raiders then lost in a close Sunday night game to the Chiefs in November 2020.
The Raiders defense made it miserable for Patrick Mahomes in both matchups with constant pressure. That recipe will be required again if Las Vegas wants to come out with a win this week, with the Raiders needing to create turnovers to put the offense in position to cash in.
Carr and Co. then need to hold up their end offensively when in the red zone. They were 1 for 6 (17%) inside the 20 against the Giants.
The Raiders entered the New York game at 61.5% in red zone touchdown percentage but dropped to 53.1% and now rank 27th in the NFL.
The matchup and the pick
Kickoff: 5:20 p.m. PST Sunday at Allegiant Stadium
Fresno TV/radio: KSEE 24/KFIG (AM 1430)
Records: Raiders 5-3; Chiefs 5-4
Line: Chiefs favored by 2.5
Anthony Galaviz’s prediction: Chiefs 27, Raiders 26
Analysis: How will the Raiders respond after the loss to the Giants? What that game showed was how much the Raiders lacked a playmaker capable of stretching the field. The Raiders addressed that with the signing of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is set to make his Raiders debut Sunday. ... Las Vegas has back-to-back home games that could set them up to go on a run, but needs to take advantage of opportunities. ... The Chiefs have struggled this season, but yet are a game above .500. And you can never write off the Chiefs as long as Mahomes is leading the way. .... The loss to the Giants offers a strong argument to temper expectations while wondering which Raiders team we will see Sunday? ... Because of the uncertainty, we’re siding with the Chiefs to win but in a close one in which the Raiders cover the spread.
