Chiefs vs Chargers Prediction, Pick, Odds for NFL Week 18
My Chiefs vs Chargers prediction and pick is on the total. The latest Chiefs vs Chargers odds have the Chargers pegged as 3-point favorites on the spread with an over/under of 35 or 35.5 points, depending on the sportsbook.
Week 18 brings us a handful of matchups, all with different implications. Some teams are playing in de facto playoff games. Some teams need help from other teams to aid their playoff chances. Others already have their fate set. That is the scenario we have in this AFC West matchup.
A handful of Chiefs starters will be sitting out, including Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice and L’Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs ruled out Travis Kelce (coaching decision) on Sunday. The star tight end will finish the regular season with 984 receiving yards, snapping his seven-season streak of reaching at least 1,000. The Chargers will also sit a few key players, notably Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa.
While neither team has much incentive to win, we can still find an edge in this divisional matchup. Let's break down this AFC West battle and get to my Chiefs vs. Chargers pick.
Chiefs vs Chargers Prediction
Chiefs vs Chargers Odds
| Chiefs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Line | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+3 -105 | 35 -110o / -110u | +140 |
| Chargers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Line | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-3 -115 | 35 -110o / -110u | -165 |
Chiefs vs. Chargers Preview
Blaine Gabbert will be getting the nod at quarterback for the Chiefs. He hasn’t started a game since 2018, and he only has 12 appearances from 2020-2023. In this time frame, he has only attempted 40 passes and completed 25, equating to a 62.5% completion percentage.
Gabbert has seen some action this season. He made an appearance in a blowout against the Bears in Week 3. The Mizzou product completed 3-of-5 attempts and threw two interceptions. It's impressive to consider that he's yet to throw a pass that's touched the ground.
The Chiefs aren’t resting many of their defensive players, so I expect to see some zip on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas City.
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The Chargers are sticking with Easton Stick at quarterback.
Stick, like Gabbert, hasn’t been impressive. He has tallied 871 yards on 83 completions, while throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for one. His record as a starter this year is 0-3, and his offense is averaging 14.75 points per game.
Stick shouldn’t get the brunt of the blame for this Chargers offense, of course, as it’s been plagued by injury and coaching turmoil, but it is hard to imagine that this will be the week that things start to click for Stick.
While these non-consequential games are tough to handicap based on the inflated number of players resting, it is clear that the offenses of both will be the ones taking the biggest hit.
Sure, the Chargers will be missing Joey Bosa and the Chiefs will be missing L'Jarius Sneed, but the players resting on the offensive side of the ball will have a bigger impact.
Chiefs vs. Chargers Pick & Prediction
I expect the scoring to be suppressed in this game as Gabbert and Stick have both recently shown their lack of ability to generate points. This will be a low-scoring game, something that we haven't been used to seeing in this AFC West matchup.
