Giants-Chiefs best bets: Can Kansas City stop the bleeding?
After arguably the most embarrassing loss of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to rebound at Arrowhead on Monday night against the New York Giants and Daniel Jones, who seems to thrive as an underdog.
Here's how we're betting Giants-Chiefs:
C Jackson Cowart: Giants +10
I was happy to play the Giants at +9.5, so I'll gladly play them at a key number against a Chiefs team that seemingly can't stop anyone.
Entering Week 8, Kansas City ranks dead last in yards allowed per drive (41.3), points allowed per drive (2.93), and drive success rate (79.3%), and it's turned it over a league-leading 17 times. That wouldn't be such an issue if the club still had the NFL's best offense, but this group is still reeling from a 3-point dud a week ago.
The Chiefs' injuries are catching up to them on offense, and Mahomes' oft-heroic efforts simply haven't unfolded - three of his worst nine games by passer rating have all come in the last month. New York is a mediocre squad, but at this point, so is Kansas City. Give me the points.
Alex Moretto: Over 52
I still refuse to believe the Chiefs' offense is a problem despite its brutal showing against the Titans. One week of dysfunction is simply too small a sample for a unit that's been dominant in this league for years and was the runaway leader in EPA per play through the first six weeks. Turnovers have been Kansas City's uncharacteristic downfall, and the offensive line has struggled, but this offense's talent will win out.
The bounce-back - if you even want to call it that after one bad game - will happen on home turf against a Giants defense that ranks 31st in pass rush win rate. It also helps to finally have Tyreek Hill healthy and coming off a full week of practice.
While I'm bullish about the Chiefs' offense returning to form, I don't feel at all the same way about the defense. There's just no quick fix here in terms of scheme or personnel for a unit giving up an NFL-worst 6.6 yards per play.
Kansas City ranks an equally poor 28th in pass rush win rate and will face a test against New York's underrated offense, which gets Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney back. With neither side likely to generate much pressure, both quarterbacks will have their way with secondaries that hardly offer much resistance. It's going to be a fun one at Arrowhead.
Matt Russell: Giants +10
Maybe the Chiefs flip the switch on Monday night, and everything is fine with the offense. That would seem odd, given Kansas City mustered three measly points against a weak Tennessee secondary and wasn't all that explosive before that. If there was a flip to switch, the team would have done it by now.
Simply put, if you can score just three points against the Titans, you can do that against anyone - meaning anyone can beat you.
Even if the offense gets back to its familiar ways, the defense is still giving up 6.6 yards per play, which means the opposing side performs like the best offense in the league in every game the Chiefs play. While Jones and the Giants are not that, if they can be efficient enough at around 6.0 yards per play, then they can stay within this number.