National Football League

NFL odds Week 2: How to bet Chargers-Chiefs, pick

Updated Sep. 14, 2022 7:42 p.m. ET

Two high-powered NFL offenses will face off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday night as the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The Chargers are coming off a big Week 1 win against their AFC foe, the Las Vegas Raiders, where Justin Herbert threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers are looking to build on a promising start to the season.

The Chiefs also collected a comfortable win in Week 1 against another high-powered offense in the Arizona Cardinals, handling them relatively easily, with Mahomes filling up the stat sheet with 360 yards, completing 77% of his passes for five touchdowns.

Here's everything you need from a betting perspective on the Chargers-Chiefs game, from the point spread, moneyline, total over/under and expert pick (odds via FOX Bet):

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Amazon Prime)

Point spread: Kansas City -3.5 (Chiefs favored to win by more than 3.5 points, otherwise Chargers cover)
Moneyline: N/A
Total scoring over/under: 54.5 points scored by both teams combined

Since Andy Reid became the Chiefs' head coach in 2013, Kansas City has gone 11-7 against the spread (ATS) and 13-5 straight up (SU) against the Chargers. Regarding Thursday night games, the Chiefs are 5-4 ATS and 5-4 SU with Andy Reid under the Thursday night lights. The over has hit in seven of those games.

On the Chargers side, Los Angeles is 12-8-1 ATS and 7-14 SU on the road when facing AFC West opponents since 2015. And when the Chargers are underdogs on the road, LA is 9-2-1 ATS and 4-8 SU (since 2015).

Pick by FOX Sports Betting Analyst Geoff Schwartz:

I love my Chiefs, but the Chargers getting 4.5 points is too many to pass up. These two teams are heavyweight contenders led by quarterbacks who can sling the rock.

Justin Herbert has played well in four contests against the Chiefs, including his first NFL start. Since September 2020, Herbert has the highest passer rating of any Chiefs opponent, and he’s thrown for 10 touchdowns.

But, the Chiefs' defense has been through a major transformation this past offseason. They are younger, quicker and faster. All of this showed against the Cardinals when they harassed Kyler Murray and made it difficult for him to get breathing room.

Unfortunately, rookie corner Trent McDuffie is out for weeks, which tests their depth. However, the Chargers will likely be without wide receiver Keenan Allen, so it’s possible these two losses even out.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to believe the Chargers' offense will be slowed down in this game.

In September, Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. He’s 12-2 while averaging 328 yards per game and a mind-blowing 46 touchdowns in those 14 September games.

However, Mahomes has "struggled" against the Chargers in his career. He has his lowest completion percentage and the most interceptions against LAC. Los Angeles has an outstanding pass rush, and, just like most quarterbacks, Mahomes is not as good when a four-man rush can get home.

A healthy Derwin James allows the Chargers to slow down Travis Kelce, which, in theory, could slow down the KC offense.

In the end, the best Chargers defense is an aggressive, high-octane offense, which just happens to be the calling card of Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Los Angeles can keep pace against the Chiefs, and I like them getting points here.

PICK: Chargers (+3.5 at FOX Bet at time of pick) to lose by fewer than 3.5 points (or win outright)

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