mark-andrews.jpg
USATSI

The Kansas City Chiefs will eye their third consecutive Super Bowl championship as they open the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday. The Chiefs (11-6), who have dominated the AFC West with eight consecutive division titles, have earned four Super Bowl championships, including three over the past five years. The Ravens (13-4), AFC North champions and the conference's top seed a year ago, have had six winning seasons over the past seven. Kansas City has dominated at home over the past 10 years, posting a league-best 61-21 (.744) home record over that span. Baltimore, meanwhile, has played well on the road, posting the fourth-best road mark over the past 10 years at 44-37 (.543).

Kickoff from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Kansas City is a 3-point favorite in the latest Ravens vs. Chiefs odds from the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 47. Before you make any Chiefs vs. Ravens picks or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert Mike Tierney has to say.

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Tierney is 154-124-9 in the NFL the past two seasons, returning $1,586 to $100 players. In addition, he is an amazing 48-20-2 on his last 70 NFL picks in games involving the Baltimore Ravens, returning a whopping $2,582. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Tierney has zoned in on Ravens vs. Chiefs. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are the NFL odds and NFL betting lines on the spreadmoney line, and over-under for Ravens vs. Chiefs:

  • Ravens vs. Chiefs spread: Chiefs -3
  • Ravens vs. Chiefs over/under: 47 points
  • Ravens vs. Chiefs money line: Chiefs -151, Ravens +127
  • BAL: Ravens have covered the third-quarter spread in 14 of their last 19 games (+9.15 units)
  • KC: Chiefs have hit the first-half game total over in their last four home games (+4.00 units)  
  • Ravens vs. Chiefs picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Chiefs can cover

Wide receiver Rashee Rice seeks to build on a solid rookie season which saw him finish second on the team with 79 receptions on 102 targets for 938 yards (11.9 average) and seven touchdowns. Only tight end Travis Kelce registered more receptions with 93 for 984 yards. Rice had 10 explosive plays of 20 or more yards in 2023, including a long of 67 yards. He had 44 first-down conversions and 654 yards after catch. In the postseason, he had 26 receptions for 262 yards and one touchdown.

Another solid contributor in 2023 was running back Isiah Pacheco, who is entering his third season. He finished the regular season with 205 rushes for 935 yards (4.6 average) and seven touchdowns. He registered six explosive plays, including a 48-yarder. He also had 44 receptions for 244 yards (5.5 average) and two scores. In the postseason, he carried 81 times for 313 yards (3.9 average) with three touchdowns. See who to back at SportsLine

Why the Ravens can cover

Quarterback Lamar Jackson plays well on the road, especially as an underdog. In the last five games as a road underdog, Jackson is 4-1, including a 5-0 mark against the spread. Jackson led Baltimore in both passing and rushing in 16 games played a year ago. He completed 307 of 457 passes (67.2%) for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. He had just seven interceptions with a rating of 102.7. On the ground, he carried 148 times for 821 yards (5.5 average) with five touchdowns, including four explosive plays of 20 or more yards. He also converted 48 first downs.

The Ravens signed former Tennessee Titans standout running back Derrick Henry as their every-down running back this season. During his nine-year career, Henry has rushed for more than 9,500 yards. Last season in 17 games for the Titans, he carried 280 times for 1,167 yards (4.2 average) and 12 touchdowns. In 119 career games, Henry has scored 90 touchdowns and has 467 first down conversions. See who to back at SportsLine

How to make Ravens vs. Chiefs picks

For the NFL Kickoff Game 2024, Tierney is leaning Over the total. He also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. Head to SportsLine to see what it is.

Who wins Chiefs vs. Ravens, and which critical x-factor makes one side hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Chiefs vs. Ravens spread you need to jump on, all from the expert who returned more than $2,500 to $100 players in the last 70 picks involving the Ravens, and find out.