Ravens - Chiefs betting trends: Pick, odds, point spread and over/under prediction | NFL week 1

It appears the powers that be got it right when it came to scheduling the 2024 NFL season as fans will be treated to the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening game of the campaign. The Ravens are of course two-time Super Bowl winners, while the Chiefs have four, including three of the last five which incidentally saw them going back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Ravens vs Chiefs: The Lay of the Land

Heading into this one, there are understandably a few factors that need to be noted. For starters, we’ve got team form i.e., the Ravens (13-4), who are 16-12 (.571) on Kickoff Weekend, are 12-5 on the road over the past two seasons. On the other hand, the Chiefs (11-6), who are 36-28 (.563) in the league’s opening week, are 12-5 at home since the start of 2022. That of course brings us to the odds themselves as well as the recent head-to-head between the teams. You can see that below:

Now, we come to the details. As fans well know the Chiefs are led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes who is coming from a 2023 run in which he played 16 games and passed for more than 4000 yards - the sixth consecutive season he has done so. In total, Mahomes threw for 4,183 yards on 401 of 597 passing (67.2%) with 27 touchdowns. He was intercepted 14 times and had a rating of 92.6. Of course, as much as the focus will be on the man in the middle, the Chiefs who are reigning Super Bowl champions do have other weapons to watch.

Travis Kelce for example who was the team’s top pass-catcher last year hauled in 93 passes for 984 yards (10.6 average), scoring five touchdowns across 15 games. What’s more, he did even better in playoffs where he caught 32 passes for 355 yards (11.1 average) and three touchdowns. Look for both men to pick up where they left off. In total, Kelce has caught 907 passes for 11,328 yards (12.5 average) and 74 TDs in 158 career games, making him a prolific part of the Chiefs’ offense.

Yet, it would be a mistake to think that on the other side of the divide, the Ravens aren’t armed to the teeth as well. With seven years under his belt, quarterback Lamar Jackson is as experienced as he is dangerous. Widely regarded as the best dual-threat quarterback in the game, Jackson completed 307 of 457 passes for 3,678 yards (229.9 average per game), while carrying 148 times for 821 yards (5.5 average) and five touchdowns. Truthfully, when looking at his numbers collectively, it’s hard not to be impressed. In total, Jackson has registered 15,887 yards passing with 125 touchdowns and 45 picks. During that time he also rushed 875 times for 5,258 yards and 29 scores. Mention should also be made of tight end Mark Andrews. Also entering his seventh year, Andrews played in 10 games last season to the tune of 45 catches for 544 yards (12.1 average) and six touchdowns. In a total of 87 games, he has caught 381 passes for 4,857 yards (12.7 average) and 40 touchdowns. That’s all to say that in similar fashion to Kelce, we can expect to see him go right back to business.