A rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship will start the 2024 NFL season when the Chiefs vs. Ravens kick off on Thursday night at 8:20 p.m. ET. Will two powerful offenses start the season strong and put this game over the number? Or will the defenses prevail for our first primetime under of the new season?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Baltimore Ravens (+3) at Kansas City Chiefs (-3); o/u 47.5
8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday, September 5, 2024
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
TV: NBC
Public Betting: Public Bettors Backing Ravens
As of this writing, our NFL Public Betting page shows that 69% of bets are on the Baltimore Ravens. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Baltimore Ravens
Another promising season for John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens came to an end short of the Super Bowl. After a 13-4 regular season, the Ravens would fall at home to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP campaign where he threw for 3,678 yards and 25 touchdowns, while also adding another 821 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. The Ravens made a splash in free agency with the acquisition of powerful running back Derrick Henry. He looks to bounce back after one of his slower seasons in recent memory, rushing for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns with a struggling Tennessee Titans offense that scored just 17.9 points per game. Roquan Smith will lead the Ravens defense along with safety Kyle Hamilton. They gave up just 16.2 points per game last season.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will begin their mission to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. They struggled for much of the 2023 regular season, finishing 11-6, but they were able to bring it all back together when it mattered most to win another Super Bowl. Star tight end Travis Kelce posted his first sub 1,000 yard receiving season since 2015. The Chiefs struggled greatly with drops early on, but rookie Rashee Rice broke out later in the season to become the number 1 receiver. Despite some legal issues over the offseason, Rice is set to play on Thursday night. Marquise Brown was picked up over the offseason to help at wide receiver, however he has officially been ruled out for Thursday with a shoulder injury. The Chiefs will return Chris Jones and George Karlaftis to the defensive line, but they did lose cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in a trade with the Titans.
Chiefs vs. Ravens Betting Trends
Kansas City is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in just 1 of the Chiefs last 9 home games
Lamar Jackson is 12-2 ATS as an underdog
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the Raven’s last 6 Thursday games
Chiefs vs. Ravens Prediction
I like the under 47.5. Unders became a staple of primetime games in the 2023 season. There are a few changes to the defenses but these teams ranked 1 and 2 last season in opponent points per game. The Ravens love to run the ball and will do so plenty with Derrick Henry which will keep the clock moving. Last season, the Ravens won 25-9 over the Texans in week 1. The Chiefs lost 21-20 to Detroit in week 1. The one game they played against each other last season saw just 27 points on the board (mind you that was the AFC championship game). My favorite stat is that the UNDER has hit in 8 of the last 9 Chiefs home games. I think we see another low scoring affair between these two AFC foes to kick off the 2024 season.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction: UNDER 47.5