Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers Matchup

Check out our week 14 Chargers vs. Chiefs pick and preview to get our insight on to who will win and cover in Kansas City.

The Chargers and Chiefs will face off on Sunday, December 8th at 8:20 ET, with NBC handling the television coverage. The Chiefs are favored in this one, with the money line sitting at -204 for them and +170 for the Chargers. The over/under line is at 43 points, and the Chargers are +4 point underdogs on the road. The game is being played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Chargers vs. Chiefs Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Where: Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium
Date: Sunday, December 8th
Betting Odds KC -4, LAC +170 | KC -204 O/U 43

Chargers Preview:

With an 8-4 record, the Chargers have a 94.6% chance of making the playoffs, but their chances of winning the division sit at just 3.3%. They currently rank 14th in our NFL power rankings. Against the spread, the Chargers are 8-3-1, including an 8-1 record as favorites. Their O/U record is 4-8, with their games averaging 37.3 points compared to a line of 42.2.

In week 13, the Chargers bounced back from a week 12 loss to the Ravens by beating the Falcons 17-13. They were 0.5-point favorites and covered the spread. The O/U line was 47 points, with the teams combining for 30. After this win, the Chargers are 4-2 on the road and 4-2 at home.

Chargers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 14, the Chargers are 14th in our offensive power rankings. They sit 17th in the NFL in points per game (21.7) and 24th in passing yards per game (198.4), despite ranking 30th in pass attempts. On the ground, they are 13th in rushing attempts and 18th in rushing yards per game (112.9). The Chargers have been strong in the red zone, converting 53.3% of their opportunities, which ranks 5th in the league.

Justin Herbert threw for 147 yards (16/23) in week 13 after passing for 218 yards in week 12 and 297 yards in week 11. He has not thrown a touchdown pass in his last two games. Herbert has been sacked 11 times over the past three weeks. Ladd McConkey led the Chargers with 9 catches for 117 yards in week 13.

Chargers Team Defense

The Chargers' defense came up with four interceptions in their 17-13 win over the Falcons, despite allowing 350 yards of total offense. They held Atlanta to just a 21.4% conversion rate on third down and didn't allow any passing touchdowns. The Chargers' run defense was solid, allowing just 116 yards on 37 attempts.

Even though the Falcons had some success moving the ball through the air, the Chargers limited them to 234 yards passing and a 61.5% completion rate. Los Angeles also managed one sack in the game.

Chiefs Preview:

The Chiefs bounced back from their week 11 loss to the Bills with two straight wins, including a narrow 19-17 victory over the Raiders in week 13. This win brought their record to 11-1, keeping them atop the AFC standings. Our projections give Kansas City a 100% chance of making the playoffs and a 96.3% chance of winning the AFC West.

Heading into week 14, the Chiefs rank 6th in our NFL power rankings. They have a +4.5 scoring margin this season and are 4-7-1 against the spread. They have failed to cover in six straight games, including a week 13 matchup with the Raiders, where they were 13.5-point favorites.

Chiefs Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 14, the Chiefs are 7th in our offensive power rankings. They lead the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a 51.8% success rate, and rank 10th in points per game, averaging 24.1. Kansas City is 12th in passing yards per game (229.8) and 19th in rushing yards (111.8).

In week 13, Patrick Mahomes threw for 306 yards and one touchdown against the Raiders, completing 26 of 46 passes. DeAndre Hopkins led the team with 90 receiving yards, while Isiah Pacheco had 44 rushing yards on 7 carries.

Chiefs Team Defense

In their 19-17 win over the Raiders, the Chiefs gave up 434 yards, but their defense came up big on third downs, allowing just a 25% conversion rate. They also had three sacks and limited the Raiders to 116 rushing yards on 25 attempts. Despite giving up 318 passing yards, the Chiefs held the Raiders to just a 25% conversion rate on third downs.

The Chiefs did give up two passing touchdowns and allowed the Raiders to average 9.1 yards per passing attempt. Additionally, they struggled to defend the run, as the Raiders averaged 4.6 yards per attempt.

Chargers vs Chiefs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Los Angeles has averaged 19 points per game while allowing 13. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Across their three previous home games, Kansas City has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-1 while averaging 26 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Chargers have gone 1-3-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
In their last five contests as the favorite, Kansas City has a poor record vs the spread going 0-5. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 5-0.