Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Kansas City Chiefs will ride a five-game winning streak into Oakland and look to extend it to six in an AFC West matchup with the winless Raiders Thursday night. The Chiefs are coming off a 24-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks last week as one-point home favorites and covered the spread for the eighth time in nine games, including five straight.

Point spread: Chiefs opened as six-point favorites; the total was 42.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 27.7-9.4 Chiefs

Why the Chiefs can cover the spread

Kansas City is obviously the better team in this game, although that’s not enough to guarantee a victory or cover here in this spot. What is more favorable and impressive for the Chiefs is how they have performed both on the road against divisional opponents and in this head-to-head matchup with Oakland over the past few years.

They have gone 9-2 straight up and against the spread in the last 11 meetings with the Raiders, also covering their past four road games vs. AFC West foes overall. Unlike last year when Kansas City peaked too early, this team is playing its best football right now and hopes to carry that forward to a division title this season.

Why the Raiders can cover the spread

Oakland may be winless this year, but this team has still managed to go .500 ATS with a 5-5 mark. The Raiders are coming off another hard-fought game with the San Diego Chargers last Sunday, covering the spread for the second time against them this season despite losing both games by a combined 10 points.

They will get to play the Chiefs in an interesting spot, one week before Kansas City hosts the Denver Broncos in what will be its biggest game of the year to date. Oakland might be able to catch the Chiefs looking ahead to that matchup with Denver and stay within a touchdown.

Smart pick

Kansas City has had some close calls against playoff contenders on the road this season, with two of the team’s three losses coming against the Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders are not even close to that caliber and have struggled mightily defending the run this year.

They are surrendering 129.8 yards per game on the ground, which ranks them 27th in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Chiefs boast the league’s fourth-best rushing attack, averaging 141.2 yards per game with an NFL-high 16 touchdowns on the ground.

Oakland will not know how to stop K.C.’s powerful running game, which the Chiefs will use to plow over the Raiders. Kansas City is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven games as a road favorite and will add another win and cover here.

Betting trends

• Kansas City is 5-0 ATS in its last five games.
• The total has gone under in seven of Oakland's last nine games when playing at home against Kansas City.

All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.