The Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) host the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season for a rematch of the 2022-23 AFC Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 4:25 PM EST on September 15th at Arrowhead Stadium.
What looked to be a premiere matchup heading into the new season definitely lost a bit of its luster after Week 1, as Cincinnati looked horrendous against New England despite being one of the biggest favorites on the board. Meanwhile, Kansas City came out strong in the first game of the regular season last Thursday, edging out Baltimore 27-20 to start the year 1-0.
There are a ton of question marks for the Bengals on offense after they managed to score just ten total points the entire game against a Patriots team that many expected to finish close to dead last in the entire NFL. On the other side, the Chiefs are looking to shore up a couple things defensively after barely escaping with a win against the Ravens.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Chiefs listed as 6-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t really moved a lot in either direction after early betting, as Kansas City is currently still available at -6 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 48.5 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on the CBS Sports Network. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Cincinnati Bengals Embarrass Themselves In Home Opener Against Lowly Pats
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Bengals during opening weekend, as they lost straight up in stunning fashion against New England despite being 7.5 point favorites heading into Week 1. Cincinnati came out sluggish right from the opening kickoff, getting shut out entirely in the first half en route to a disastrous 16-10 defeat.
QB Joe Burrow was entirely mediocre despite entering the season with a clean bill of health, going a pedestrian 21/29 for 169 passing yards. The tumultuous situation involving the Bengals receiving corps no doubt played a factor in Cincinnati’s offensive gong show, as star wideout Ja’Marr Chase was questionable all week due to a contract dispute while Tee Higgins was unable to suit up due to a lingering hamstring injury.
It was also very clear that Cincinnati immediately missed veteran Joe Mixon in the backfield, as their former workhorse left during the offseason for greener pastures in Houston. While Zack Moss did manage to find the end zone, neither Moss nor sophomore Chase Brown recorded above 45 total rushing yards individually.
On the other side of the ball, the Bengals secondary looked fairly respectable against an anemic Patriots passing offense that lacked any real firepower. However, they certainly didn’t have an answer for Rhamondre Stevenson on the ground, surrendering 120 yards and a touchdown to the veteran rusher. This unit could be in for a long afternoon on Sunday, as Mahomes obviously represents a much bigger threat through the air than game manager Jacoby Brissett posed in Week 1.
Kansas City Chiefs Show No Signs of Super Bowl Hangover Week 1
There were a lot of people calling for Baltimore to pull off the slight upset, but the Chiefs managed to take care of business at home to open the season. QB Patrick Mahomes looked decent, going 20/28 for 291 yards and a touchdown through the air. The duo of Rashee Rice and rookie Xavier Worthy was electric, as the pair combined for almost 200 total yards of offense and two touchdowns to lead the way for the receiving corps.
RB Isiah Pacheco struggled to find much room on the ground against a stout Ravens running defense, averaging only 3.0 yards per carry. However, Pacheco did chip in with a rushing touchdown as well as adding two receptions for 33 yards. TE Travis Kelce got off to a slow start, as Mahomes only looked his way a handful of times the entire game.
The Chiefs really struggled to slow down Lamar Jackson, surrendering almost 400 total yards of offense on plays Jackson was involved in alone. Kansas City certainly had no answer for Jackson on the ground specifically, allowing him to average a ridiculous 7.6 yards per carry on 16 total rushing attempts.
Our Bengals vs Chiefs NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
While I totally understand laying the points and rolling with the Chiefs at home here in Week 2, these two AFC rivals have played each other pretty close over the past several seasons. I fully expect a much better performance from Cincinnati on both sides of the ball, although they may still have some issues in the passing game due to Tee Higgins most likely being unable to suit for a second consecutive week.
On the Kansas City side, head coach Andy Reid has shown a tendency to emphasize a defense-first strategy in these particular spots at the beginning of the season. The Chiefs clearly no longer need to solely rely on a run and gun offense to win games either, as their defensive play has really been extremely impressive as of late.
Game Total Betting Market Tip: Under 48.5
It’s extremely hard to imagine that the Bengals somehow iron out multiple problems on offense in less than a week after struggling so mightily at home to start the season. While I don’t expect them to only score one touchdown the entire game for a second consecutive outing, I do feel that the total in this game is still slightly inflated when considering all of Cincinnati’s issues right now.
There is no doubt that the continued absence of Tee Higgins has a large negative impact on the passing game, especially when considering that veteran Tyler Boyd is no longer with the team as well. Ja’Marr Chase is also clearly rusty after missing time during training camp due to his contract dispute with the front office. Ultimately, I feel as if there is still reasonable value with the Under in this matchup in a game Kansas City should find a way to win straight up to move to 2-0 overall.
