Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders 2019: Prediction, Betting Odds, Preview For NFL Week 2

The Oakland Raiders were among the biggest surprises in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL regular season, defeating the Denver Broncos 24-16. The team’s first real test comes in Week 2 when they host the Kansas City Chiefs, who remain the heavy favorites in the AFC West.

Kansas City is laying seven points in Oakland, according to the latest betting line at OddsShark. The Raiders might be heavy underdogs, but the point spread has been moving in Oakland’s direction.

The Chiefs opened as 10-point favorites at some sportsbooks, though that changed with the results of Week 1. The Raiders looked like they didn’t miss Antonio Brown at all as Derek Carr carved up Denver’s defense with a 121.0 passer rating. Kansas City lost their No.1 playmaker in a 40-26 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyreek Hill won’t play with a sternoclavicular joint injury.

Hill’s absence might not mean much. Reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes picked up right where he left off in the season opener, completing 23 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns to targets other than Hill. The Chiefs still have the league’s most explosive offense.

Will the Raiders’ offense be a little better than anticipated? That’s the question that needs to be answered when trying to pick a side in Sunday afternoon’s game.

Overreacting to Week 1 can be an issue when looking at the Week 2 schedule. By the same token, you shouldn’t ignore potential signs of what’s to come throughout the season.

The season opener indicated that the Raiders could have one of the best offensive lines in football. The unit couldn’t have played any better against Denver, who didn’t touch Carr the entire night.

Carr’s improved protection might be no fluke. Former New England Patriots tackle Trent Brown is a big addition to a line that shut down the likes of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. There are high hopes for left tackle Kolton Miller, who was the No.15 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Kansas City still has one of the league’s worst defenses, as evidenced by rookie Gardner Minshew completing 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Nick Foles. If the Jaguars and their backup quarterback can put up 26 points on the Chiefs, the Raiders have a real chance to get into the 30s.

The Chiefs are undeniably the much better team. They are likely to win a shootout that goes north of the over/under of 53.5.

The Raiders were defeated 40-33 the last time they hosted the Chiefs, trailing by no more than 10 points for most of the fourth quarter. Look for Sunday’s game to play out in a similar fashion.

Prediction Against The Spread: Kansas City over Oakland, 38-33