Monday Night Football Betting News and Notes

NFL Poolies' Cheat Sheet: Week 8
By Colin Kelly
Covers.com

San Diego Chargers (-3.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

Why Chargers cover: Snatched defeat from jaws of victory last week at Jets, so should be plenty riled up against AFC West rival. Chiefs blew out Raiders on road last week 28-0, but K.C. doesn’t follow up well on such routs – 1-4 ATS last five after win of more than 14 points.

Why Chiefs cover: Home team and home fans surely amped up for “Monday Night Football” appearance. Have beaten bookies four straight games, starting by cashing as huge 14½-point dog at San Diego in 20-17 loss. Plus, Chargers and Arrowhead not exactly like pizza and beer, with Bolts just 4-9-1 ATS last 14 trips to Kansas City.

Total (44): Under has hit in five straight home games for Todd Haley’s troops; over 19-6-2 Chargers’ last 27 as road chalk.

NFL Week 8

Chargers (4-2) @ Chiefs (3-3) - First rematch of season; Chiefs lost 20-17 at San Diego in Week 3 (+14.5), 7th win in last eight series meetings for Chargers, who've won three of last four visits here, but KC is 3-0 since then, winning as an underdog in all three games. Home underdogs are 7-4 in divisional games so far this season. Chargers are 1-2 on road this year, losing at Patriots/Jets, with a 29-24 win in Denver- they've been outscored 31-6 in second half of their last two games. San Diego is 22-11-3 vs spread in game following its last 36 losses. 6-10 in its last 16 games as road favorite. Kansas City covered its last three tilts as a home underdog. Three of Chiefs' last four games stayed under total.

Chargers at Chiefs: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (+3, 44)

THE STORY: The Kansas City Chiefs are feeling a lot better about themselves heading into this weekend’s matchup with the San Diego Chargers than they did when the teams met last month. The Chiefs will be seeking their fourth consecutive win and can pull within a half-game of the AFC West lead when they host the division-leading Chargers on Monday night. Such a scenario seemed highly improbable when the Chiefs suffered a narrow 20-17 loss at San Diego to drop to 0-3 – after having been outscored 89-10 in the first two weeks and losing star running back Jamaal Charles to a season-ending knee injury.

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (4-2): San Diego appeared on the way to its fourth straight win – and muzzling Rex Ryan – before blowing an 11-point halftime lead in a 27-21 loss at the New York Jets last week. San Diego was scoreless in the second half and received another shaky outing from QB Philip Rivers, who threw for a season-low 179 yards and had his fourth two-interception game – both coming in the fourth quarter. Rivers was also picked off twice by the Chiefs, but RB Ryan Mathews ran for 98 yards and a pair of first-half touchdowns. TE Antonio Gates had five catches for 54 yards and a TD last week in his return from injury.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (3-3): Kansas City rode six interceptions to a 28-0 win at division rival Oakland last week. Kendrick Lewis and Brandon Flowers returns picks for touchdowns, helping the Chiefs survive a mediocre outing by Matt Cassel, who threw for 161 yards and was intercepted twice. Bruising RB Jackie Battle has rushed for 195 yards in the last two games after having 10 carries in the first four. Kansas City has turned its season around thanks to a soft schedule, beating Minnesota and Indianapolis (a combined 1-13) and a Raiders team that lost star RB Darren McFadden to injury in the first quarter and was without starting QB Jason Campbell.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Kansas City is looking to become the first team since Pittsburgh in 2000 to open the season with three straight losses and follow with four consecutive wins.

2. Gates, who had been sidelined by plantar fasciitis, hauled in his 70th career TD last week. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez (92) – a former Chief – is the only other tight end to reach that mark.

3. Chargers Pro Bowl LG Kris Dielman will not play after sustaining a concussion last week. He reportedly had a seizure on the team flight home.

LINE MOVEMENT:

This line opened with the Chargers installed as 3.5-point road chalk. San Diego was bet up to -4 at a few shops earlier in the week but just about everyone is dealing Chiefs +3 as of Sunday afternoon.

WEATHER:

Clear skies and mild temperatures are in the forecast for Monday's game at Arrowhead Stadium, with little wind expected.

TRENDS:

The Chiefs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as underdogs and 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.

The Chargers are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games overall and 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games as road favorites.

The over is 29-11-4 in the Chargers' last 44 road games.

PREDICTION: Chargers 20, Chiefs 17. San Diego has won seven of the last eight vs. Kansas City and keeps it going with a late field goal.

MNF - Chargers at Chiefs
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Halloween night in the NFL showcases a pair of AFC West rivals getting together in Kansas City to close out Week 8. The suddenly surging 3-3 Chiefs welcome in the 4-2 Chargers to Arrowhead Stadium with first-place on the line in the division. San Diego has heard the criticism all season that it hasn't beaten any quality opponents, as the Bolts try to put a bad loss at New York last week behind them.

The Chargers thought they had jumped a hurdle by taking a 21-10 lead over the Jets in Week 7, but New York responded by scoring the final 17 points in a 27-21 victory as short home 'dogs. Philip Rivers threw for a season-low 179 yards in the defeat, while the Chargers were held scoreless in the second half. Norv Turner's squad maintained its hold atop the AFC West as the Raiders put up a horrendous performance at home last Sunday.

Oakland fell to 4-3 after Kansas City went to the Black Hole and tossed a 28-0 shutout against its hated rival. The Chiefs blanked their first opponent since a 41-0 thrashing of the 49ers at home in 2006, while Kansas City evened its mark at 3-3. Todd Haley's defense intercepted six passes in the win, while returning a pair of picks for touchdowns. Matt Cassel didn't help the Chiefs' offense by tossing two interceptions of his own, but Kansas City received a pair of rushing touchdowns to cover as 3½-point underdogs.
Advertisement

The Chiefs have now cashed in four straight games after an 0-2 start, as the defending AFC West champions are finally scoring points. Kansas City was outscored 89-10 in blowout losses to Buffalo and Detroit, but the confidence turned upward in a Week 3 setback at San Diego. The Chargers were laying 14½ points, but the Chiefs made things interesting with a 20-17 defeat to finally cover for backers. Since then, Kansas City is averaging 26 points a game, while turning into the hottest team from an ATS standpoint since Week 3.

The knock on the Chargers in the past was starting slow out of the gate, but San Diego can't even get credit this season in spite of a 4-2 record. The Bolts beat the Vikings in Week 1, the previously winless Chiefs in Week 3, the winless Dolphins in Week 4, and the struggling Broncos in Week 5. However, the two losses came to a pair of playoff teams from a year ago, the Patriots and Jets.

San Diego has won seven of the previous eight meetings in this series, as the lone Chiefs' victory came in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium last season. In a driving rainstorm, Kansas City's quest to a division title began with a 21-14 triumph as four-point home 'dogs. The Chiefs used a pair of big plays from Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster to spark the win, despite racking up only 197 yards of offense. Taking away that slip-up last season, the Bolts are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS the previous four matchups in Western Missouri.

From a totals standpoint, the Chargers are 3-3 to the 'over,' but the three 'overs' have come away from Southern California. Kansas City is also 3-3 in the totals department, while splitting the two home games ('over' vs. Buffalo and 'under' vs. Minnesota). The Chiefs are 6-2 to the 'under' in their last eight home contests since last October. Kansas City is playing just its second Monday night game since 2006, while San Diego is 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS in that same span under the Monday lights (six games against AFC West competition). The Bolts need to improve on a 3-6 ATS record as a road favorite since the start of 2010. On the flip side, the Chiefs are a solid 10-4 ATS as underdogs in the last 14 games under Haley, dating back to December 2009.

The Chargers opened up as four-point road 'chalk,' but that number has dropped to three pretty much across the board. The total is set at 44½, as temperatures are expected to be in the low 60's and clear. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN and kicks off at 8:30 PM EST from Arrowhead Stadium.