For the first NFL game this weekend  I envisage Maximus Decimus Meridius standing on the 50 yard at the two minute warning and asking " are you not entertained" !

 

 

I don't know if a decision will be made about the Bengals- Bills game before this AFC West match up kicks off, but if not, a Chiefs win might help the process, a loss will only further complicate matters ( see yesterday's notes).  As it stands, KC needs to win and the Bills to lose one of two games, for the Chiefs to take the #1 seed in the AFC , giving them a bye week and home field advantage through to the Super Bowl. It is a big incentive. The Raiders have nothing to play for , they are 6-10 for the season and plans are already underway for 2023 and the Derek Carr reign as quarterback is over and relationship soured with the organisation after nine years. We can forget that for now, the Raiders are, well, the Raiders, there are always a lot of distractions, in the back offices, off the field and in practice, on the field they love to play spoiler and took a strong 49ers team to overtime before losing 37-34 last week. SF and the Chiefs look of a similar level and I would not be surprised at all to see this play out along the same lines. I expect a KC win and they almost always play with greater freedom on the road as I touch upon often, including in last weeks notes and they have averaged 38 points scored in their two visits to the Allegiant Stadium (one finished 35-31 to the Chiefs) and the game at Arrowhead this season was 30-29 to the hosts. Another high scoring game, with the Chiefs winning is definitely my suggestion.

 

This will have a massive television audience, the Chiefs fans will fill half the stadium like the 49ers did last week and it is the first game after the awful events witnessed on Monday night. What the NFL needs now is a "fun" and "clean" game ( not that there was anything wrong with the Damar Hamlin incident, it was simply fate and bad luck ), they want a positive image of the sport now and I would not be surprised if the league had words with the two owners/franchises accordingly. Along the "hard but fair and anything unsavoury will be frowned upon and dealt with severely" lines. A high scoring shootout and the Raiders with big offensive weapons in Jacobs/Waller/Renfrow and Adams can play their part, is just what is required and what I expect.

 

 "over" 54.5 points 2.29 Vegas Line/Pinnacle.

 

Good luck!