Vikings vs Chiefs Spread Opens at Minnesota -2 with Mahomes’ Status Still in Doubt

• Minnesota heads to Kansas City in Week 9 riding a four-game winning streak
• The status of KC QB Patrick Mahomes is not yet known
• The Vikings opened at -2 when the point spread was finally released on Thursday

The Minnesota Vikings (6-2, 2-2 away) have won four games in a row and quarterback Kirk Cousins has caught fire. While their quarterback situation is in good hands, the Kansas City Chiefs (5-3, 1-3 home) may have to roll with backup QB Matt Moore for a second straight week.

Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes (dislocated knee) was limited in practice on Thursday and, even if he suits up, will be at less than 100%.

That’s impacted the Vikings vs Chiefs odds, which finally opened with Minnesota as two-point favorites.

Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs Odds

Odds taken Nov. 1, 2019.

Vikings Handle Redskins on Thursday Night Football

While it wasn’t the prettiest win, the Vikings did take care of business on Thursday Night Football with a 19-9 win over the Washington Redskins. The oddsmakers were expecting more of a blowout, setting the Vikings as 17-point favorites, but Minnesota still earned a comfortable win.

Kirk Cousins has been playing out of his mind recently, with just 25 incompletions in his last four games. He was heavily criticized after the loss at the Chicago Bears and, since then, he’s completed 78.4% of his passes in October with 1,262 yards, 10 touchdowns and just one interception.

Vikings fans at 2-2: Screw you Kirk Cousins!

Vikings fans at 6-2: pic.twitter.com/kHMlSAK69z

— Josh (@_JMBurns) October 25, 2019

On the strength of his play, the Vikings have won four in a row. Road games with Cousins – especially against teams above .500 – are an adventure but the good news is the Vikings have 10 days to prepare.

Chiefs Competitive Without Mahomes

Matt Moore got the start on Sunday Night Football and played fairly well. He finished the night 24-of-36 for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Chiefs fought hard as sizable home underdogs, and Moore gave the team a shot – even digging them out of an early 14-0 hole.

FINAL: @packers over the Chiefs on Sunday Night! #GoPackGo #GBvsKC

(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/aa53vA3aCa

— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2019

The main issue was the defense, which was again gashed by Aaron Rodgers and company. They gave up 31 points to the Packers and allowed them to convert eight-of-13 third downs. They were whipped in time of possession – a steady theme for this Chiefs defense – as the Packers had the ball for 33:13.

They’ll have to find a way to turn things around if they’re to beat Minnesota.

Will Mahomes Play?

Most reports suggest that he’s unlikely to play in Week 9 and that a Week 10 return is optimistic, but Mahomes is practicing, as mentioned, and a report by Ian Rapoport suggests that there’s an outside chance Mahomes plays.

Report: Patrick Mahomes has an 'outside chance' to play vs. Vikings in Week 9 https://t.co/Y8cJi6lvPB

— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) October 27, 2019

As we saw this week, Mahomes is worth about seven points on the spread. This opening line probably factors in about a 20% chance he plays, meaning Minnesota is laying roughly 5.5 more points than they would be if Mahomes was 100%.

If I was betting this game on Thursday, I would take the Vikings at -2 with an eye to middling on Sunday.

Putting Mahomes back in the lineup this early is an unnecessary risk for the Chiefs. They lead the AFC West by 1.5 games over the Raiders, and that’s effectively a two-game lead because they own the tiebreaker thanks to a Week 2 win in Oakland.

It would be wise for KC to think longterm; let Mahomes heal fully, ensuring he’s ready for games against the Chargers (Week 11) and Raiders, (Week 13), not to mention the postseason. When he’s announced as out for Week 9, the Vikings could end up laying more than a field goal.