Odds, Betting Splits & Picks for Rams/Chiefs
By Eric Rosales in NFL News
Published:
- The Kansas City Chiefs are 2.5-point favorites vs the LA Rams in Week 1 preseason play
- Rams head coach Sean McVay will not play starters, if at all through the preseason
- See below for the Rams vs Chiefs odds, betting split, picks, and who should be playing
It’s a potential Super Bowl matchup by name only, as the LA Rams will visit the Kansas City Chiefs as both teams kick off their preseason slate in Week 1.
That’s because virtually no key players on either team will see the field, leaving the Rams — the favorite in the Super Bowl odds — and the Chiefs, slated in the Top 5, will offer unreasonable facsimiles of their best selves.
Both LA and KC will use these games to sort out the rosters that they hope will be playing into February. For now, the Chiefs find themselves as the betting favorites for Saturday.
Action gets underway this afternoon at 4pm ET from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with NFL Network providing the broadcast coverage.
Rams vs Chiefs Odds and Betting Splits
Odds as of August 15th from bet365. Click here for a bet365 Sportsbook promo code to bet on for NFL this season.
Kansas City opens as -140 favorites on the moneyline, with slightly better odds (-110) if you take them on the spread, where they would have to win by at least three points for you to cash in.
The Rams are +120 to win outright, and also get -110 odds on the spread, despite getting a 2.5-point cusion.
The total is set at 35.5 points, with both ends of the betting spectrum offering -110 odds.
Looking at the NFL public betting trends, and the public is most confident in the total, with 84% of the bets and 86% of the money smashing the Over at 35.5 points.
LA is getting plenty of betting love on the spread as well, getting 73% of the money and 67% of all bets as 2.5-point underdogs.
The Chiefs only get the public’s dollars on the moneyline, but they’re getting just 59% of the money to win, though getting more than three quarters of the bets, at 78%. That means the 22% of tickets for LA are betting big, as they account for 41% of all the money.
Rams vs Chiefs Picks
- Over 35.5 points (-110 at bet365)
It’s almost a certainty you won’t see Rams starting QB Matt Stafford taking a preseason snap, likely why the reigning MVP ranks just ninth in the latest NFL MVP odds.
That’s two slots down from Patrick Mahomes, who will also sit in Week 1, but should see some preseason playas he works his way back from major knee surgery. He’s got +1100 odds to win MVP, and has the top NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds (+185).
But we should get pretty solid QB play Saturday – for preseason standards.
KC fans will get their first Justin Fields experience, and we’ll see how much Andy Reid’s development dust can hardness Fields’ athletic talents. He’s a guy that’s rushed for nearly 2,900 yards and 23 TD’s in his pro career. He’ll be backed by LSU standout Garrett Nussmeier, who finished his college career with 7,699 pass yards and 52 TDs.
The Rams will start Stetson Bennett, and the fourth-year pro shined in the preseason last year, completing 68.8% of his passes for 512 yards, five touchdowns, and a 105.7 passer rating. He’ll eventually give way to Round 1 pick Ty Simpson, who shined at Alabama, throwing for mover 3,500 yards and amassing 30 total TDs.
Which is all to say that these four pivots that will log most of the minutes should generate enough offense to move past the low 36.5 scoring line.
LA Rams vs KC Chiefs Who’s Playing
With no LA starters and very few Chiefs’ players seeing the field Saturday, we’ve rounded up notable players that should suit up and will be worth watching, as they try to win a position battle or latch onto a roster spot.
LA Rams
- CJ Daniels (WR): A sixth-round pick out of Miami, he’s trying to lock down the WR3 spot behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
- Max Klare (TE): The second-round pick will need to show out this year, as the Rams’ depth chart at TE is loaded, led by Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and recent high picks like Terrance Ferguson.
- Cam Lampkin (CB): LA’s defensive backfield is stacked, but can always use more depth, and Lampkin is on track to lock that down a roster spot.
- Tim Keenan III (DL): Picked in the seventh round, the rookie nose tackle will try to find room on a crowded D-line.
KC Chiefs
- Justin Fields (QB): Patrick Mahomes is on track to start Week 1, but any setbacks and Fields will get real snaps to try and float KC till Mahomes comes back. This is a crucial job.
- Kahlil Benson (OT): The undrafted free agent has been good in camp, and protecting Mahomes is priority one.
- Brashard Smith (RB): The backup RB spot is up for grabs behind free agent pickup Kenneth Walker III
- Jaden Hicks (S): Even with a revamped secondary, you can never have enough good plug and play guys, especially against the pass-happy offenses in the AFC West. Hicks could slot into one of those spots.
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Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
