Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers have high hopes and potent offenses heading into the 2019 NFL season. And while exhibition games don't count in the season standings, these squads also have plenty of competition at almost every position. Clarity for those questions can be answered Saturday in Pittsburgh, where kickoff from Heinz Field is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET in Week 2 of the 2019 NFL preseason. The Steelers want to build a young core around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and the Chiefs want depth to develop behind proven stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The latest Chiefs vs. Steelers odds list Kansas City as a 2.5-point favorite, while the over-under for total points scored is 46.5. You need to hear what NFL expert R.J. White has to say before you make any Chiefs vs. Steelers picks or any other NFL predictions of your own.
White has been SportsLine's top pro football analyst for two-plus seasons. Over that span, the CBS Sports NFL editor and nationally recognized NFL Draft expert has gone 214-164 on NFL picks against the spread, returning more than $3,200 to $100 bettors.
White was all over the Patriots in the 2019 Super Bowl, nailing the year's biggest sporting event for the legions that follow him. White said he wouldn't trust Rams QB Jared Goff in a big spot, and Goff's bumbling performance was key to New England's 13-3 win.
The stats guru, whose picks are coveted by fans everywhere, has cashed huge in the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, twice in the past four years. What's more, White has a record of 16-7 in his last 23 picks involving the Steelers. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has broken down Steelers vs. Chiefs from every angle and revealed his strong against the spread pick over at SportsLine.
White has considered that the Chiefs appear to be clicking along at the same torrid offensive pace they set throughout 2018 -- where they led the NFL in scoring with 35.3 points per game.
The exhibition opener was proof positive, as Kansas City scored 38 points on the Bengals in a lopsided win. Even with Mahomes only playing a series, the Chiefs' passing game lit it up -- as backup QBs Kyle Shurmur and Chase Litton combined for 199 passing yards and each threw a touchdown. Sixth-round RB Darwin Thompson also impressed, getting a game-high five carries. Piling up 400 yards in a preseason game is particularly impressive given that defenses usually stand out more early on, but the Chiefs look to be hitting on all cylinders no matter who is on the field.
Just because Kansas City is explosive on offense doesn't mean its guaranteed to cover the Chiefs vs. Steelers spread on Saturday night.
Looking to address the wide receiver position, second-year pro James Washington has made an early case for more looks alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster. In fact, Washington recorded four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown last week against the Buccaneers. Expect quarterback Mason Rudolph, who is getting the start on Saturday, to look Washington's way often.
Defensively, the Steelers welcome back safeties Sean Davis and Terrell Edmunds, who combined for 158 total tackles, to a unit that ranked 10th against the pass in the NFL. Pittsburgh is also hoping for a major contribution from first-round draft pick Devin Bush at linebacker and third-round choice Justin Layne at defensive back.
We can tell you White is leaning over, but he's also identified a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread hit hard. He's only sharing that pick over at SportsLine.
Who wins Steelers vs. Chiefs? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Chiefs spread you should jump on Saturday, all from the top NFL expert who's brought in more than $3,200 the last two seasons, and find out.
