The Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens to open up the 2024-25 NFL Season on Thursday Night Football in a rematch of the 2023-24 AFC Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 8:15 PM EST on September 5th at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and the game will be nationally televised on NBC. In Canada, the game will also be broadcast on TSN.
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Chiefs listed as three-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t moved at all after early betting, as Kansas City is currently still available at -3. The total for this matchup is 46.5 points. Click here for a full look at the Week 1 NFL odds and for more links to our individual game previews.
Ravens vs Chiefs Game Odds & Betting Preview
Kansas City Chiefs look to defend Super Bowl title
The Chiefs face a tough test right out of the gate as they begin their quest to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. QB Patrick Mahomes leads the way for the electric Kansas City offense after throwing for 4,000+ yards and 27 touchdowns during the 2023-24 season. Mahomes looks likely to have his number one wideout available for the season opener, as Rashee Rice is slated to be in the lineup despite ongoing legal issues off the field and a looming suspension.
Standout rookie WR Xavier Worthy also will be in the lineup on Thursday night after being drafted in the first round by the Chiefs to provide depth behind Rice. Of course, star TE Travis Kelce will continue to be a pivotal part of the Chiefs offense as well after racking up 93 receptions, 984 receiving yards, and 5 TDs during the regular season last year. Kelce also was a big factor when these two teams last met in late January, exploding for 11 catches, 100+ yards, and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Kansas City was one of the best defensive units in the entire NFL during their Super Bowl run. They surrendered an average of just 289.8 total yards and 17.3 points per game during the regular season, and were even better in the postseason. Perhaps their most impressive outing was against this same Baltimore team in the AFC Championship, as they held Lamar Jackson and the rest of the explosive Ravens offense to just 10 points. Both DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis are back again this season after combining for an impressive 21 sacks in 2023-24, so look for the Chiefs to have continued success on defense throughout the year.
Baltimore Ravens Look to Rebound After AFC Championship Heartbreak
The Ravens will look to get revenge on the team that ended their 2023-24 season one game short of the promised land after a heartbreaking 17-10 home loss to Kansas City with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Baltimore’s offense is led by the always electric Lamar Jackson, who is coming off an MVP season – the second of his career. Jackson threw for a career-high 3,678 passing yards in 2023-24, which helped the Ravens average over 28 points per game.
Big things are expected from WR Zay Flowers in his sophomore season, as his play improved week after week during the regular season before his monstrous five catch, 115 yard performance against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Baltimore is blessed with arguably the best TE depth in the entire NFL, as both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely played pivotal offensive roles last year. There is no doubt that the Ravens will continue to pound the ball on the ground week in and week out, as newcomer Derrick Henry looks to be a significant upgrade out of the backfield from the departing Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins.
Baltimore was also equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball in 2023-24, surrendering an average of just 16.5 points per game to opponents – the best in the entire NFL. This unit has the potential to be just as threatening heading into the 2024-25 season, as CB Nate Wiggins joins a roster that features an entire returning cast of defensive lineman after he was selected in the first round of the draft out of Clemson. However, the Ravens will need to replace standouts Jadaveon Clowney and Patrick Queen, which certainly is much easier said than done.
Our NFL Betting Predictions and Pick: Chiefs -3
Even though Kansas City couldn’t find a way to win their season opener at Arrowhead in 2023 against a tough Detroit squad, I think they should find a way to claw out a hard fought home victory in primetime on Thursday Night. The Ravens are dealing with a lot of roster turnover on both sides of the ball, especially on defense where they also have to deal with a brand new coordinator calling the plays.
While I have no doubt that Baltimore will be contending for the AFC title in January yet again, Kansas City has really dominated the Ravens over their past five meetings. Mahomes and Co. are an outstanding 4-1 outright, including a flawless 5-0 record against the spread in that same time span. Baltimore will also likely need time to adjust to some new faces on the offensive line, as mainstays Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson are both gone. For a team that relies so heavily on the run, there will almost certainly be a 2-3 game adjustment period before the entire OL gels together.
Ultimately, the Chiefs have absolutely dominated in regular season openers over the last decade or so, winning eight of their last nine en route to an 8-1 record since 2014. With all of his weapons available here in Week 1, Mahomes should have no trouble staying close to his very impressive average of 344 passing yards and 115.5 passer rating over five total career games against Baltimore. This one will likely stay close throughout, but give me Kansas City to cover the spread at home!
