Thursday at 8:20 PM, the Baltimore Ravens will face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, starting this year’s NFL season with a bang.
The Ravens began last year as the favorites to win the Super Bowl at NFL sportsbooks. Three days before the 2024-25 NFL season begins, the Chiefs are getting the best odds to win it all, but they aren’t favored to beat Baltimore at home for some reason.
Ravens vs. Chiefs Betting Line
- Spread: KC +3.0. BAL -3.0
- Moneyline: KC +125, BAL -145
- Over/Under: 45.5
Baltimore has added running back Derrick Henry to their backfield, hoping he has some tread left on the tires after his service with the Tennessee Titans. Last year’s NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson, only has one box left to check on his agenda: a Super Bowl win.
The best-kept secret in pro football could be Kansas City’s defense, a stout unit that finished at the top of the league overall and in passing yards allowed.
Kansas City returns with a similar offensive look to last season but added first-round wide receiver Xavier Worthy in this year’s NFL Draft. Worthy’s 40-yard-dash time at the combine was the fastest ever recorded at 4.21 seconds.
Patrick Mahomes is simply collecting Lombardi Trophies and accolades in hopes of stacking his Hall of Fame resume at this point. Last season, he proved to have the ability to up his game to another level in the postseason.
After a pedestrian 11-6 effort during the 2023-24 regular season (by their standards), KC took out a murderer’s row of AFC contenders in the playoffs, including the Ravens.
Although Henry was not with Baltimore last year, he can feel the heat left by last year’s AFC Championship loss.
“I was wishing I could suit up that day… Now it’s my turn… It’s going to be a hell of a game.”
Derrick Henry
While with the Titans, Henry has had success against the Chiefs. Opposing defenses will now have to choose between committing to Henry or Jackson in the run game, and the prospect of Derrick breaking out into an open secondary is an exciting one.
NFL prop bets for Thursday imply Henry will rush for north of 65 yards.
Just like last year, both of these franchises are projected for the postseason by NFL Playoff betting sites, but the Week 1 winner between KC and BAL will earn a leg up in the hunt for the AFC’s number one seed.
Bovada (Bovada LV Review), FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated
