Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs Odds, Predictions & Picks for Sep 15

Jan 29, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

• KC is laying 6 points at home in the Bengals vs Chiefs odds in Week 2 action on Sunday, September 15
• Bengals wideout Tee Higgins (hamstring) is doubtful, while Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) is out
• Check out the Bengals vs Chiefs odds, predictions and picks below

AFC heavyweights clash in Week 2 as Joe Burrow and the Bengals visit Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The defending champs are fresh off a dramatic Week 1 victory over the Ravens, and online sportsbooks are expecting KC to hand Cincy a second straight loss on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs Odds

The Chiefs are a 6-point favorite, in a game with a total of 48. This line has fluctuated between -5 and -6 since it opened, with money pouring in on KC per the NFL public betting percentages. Mahomes and Co. are currently drawing 82% of the spread handle, off just 41% of the tickets.

Kickoff is slated for 4:25 pm ET at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, with CBS providing the broadcast coverage.

Odds as of September 14 at BetMGM. Be sure to check out the best BetMGM promos before placing a bet on the Bengals vs Chiefs matchup.

Bengals Passing Attack Lacks Bite

Cincy suffered the biggest upset of Week 1, losing at home to what is supposed to be a dismal Patriots team. The Bengals were gashed on the ground by Rhamondre Stevenson, and Burrow couldn’t get anything going through the air.

He threw for just 164 yards, despite being pressured only three times. Burrow was missing one of his favorite targets Tee Higgins, and the star receiver is expected to sit again on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

There’s plenty of speculation that Burrow is dealing with a wrist injury, and his numbers bare that out. Just three of his 29 attempts last week travelled more than 10 yards, and he was repeatedly guilty of checking the ball down instead of trying to make an aggressive throw.

3rd and 10. Down 6. Under 3 minutes left in the fourth.

Burrow gets a clean pocket and a clear look at an Andrei Iosivas one-on-one with Jonathan Jones. Safety is *outside the opposite hash!*

Eats it, checks it down, and the Bengals punt it away. pic.twitter.com/SZr4J0x819

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 9, 2024

If you believe Burrow’s health status is being overblown, there’s plenty of numbers to support a bounce-back effort. Over the course of his career, the Bengals average 29 points per game the following week after Burrow fails to throw for at least 200 yards.

Joe Cool is also 10-2 against the spread as an underdog of 4 or more points, including 5-0 ATS in those situations with Ja’Marr Chase in the lineup. Chase caught all six of his targets last week, and will likely need a monster performance in the Bengals vs Chiefs props for Cincy to keep pace with KC.

Chiefs Also Down a Key Pass Catcher

As for Mahomes, he was efficient but certainly not spectacular against Baltimore last week. He threw for 291 yards and a score, connecting seven times for 103 yards with Rashee Rice. Travis Kelce was held in check to the tune of just three catches, and the plan should be to get him more involved early versus a suspect Cincy D.

Rookie Xavier Worthy was a human highlight reel versus the Ravens in Week 1, but given he scored two touchdowns on only four touches, we should temper expectations moving forward.

Just like Cincinnati, Kansas City is also down a key pass catcher. Prized free agent signing Marquise Brown was put on IR this week with a shoulder injury, and Andy Reid expects him to miss “months” rather than weeks.

If you’re looking to back Mahomes and the Super Bowl odds frontrunners, look no forward than this nugget: Mahomes is 16-0 straight up versus teams who threw for fewer than 200 yards in their prrevious game.

Bengals vs Chiefs Predictions

While a potential Burrow wrist injury is concerning, it feels like +6 is a bit of an overreaction. The lookahead prior to Week 1 for this contest was KC -3.5, and a 2.5-point adjustment after one game feels high.

If Burrow continues to refuse to throw downfield we’ll adjust for next week, but right now the value lies with Cincinnati at +6. Burrow is 3-1 both straight up and against the spread in his career against Mahomes and the Chiefs. All four games have been decided by 4 points or less, and we should expect this one to be as well.

Burrow vs Mahomes Head-to-Head Results

In addition to grabbing Cincy +6, consider the under as well. The Bengals will be less explosive without Higgins, while KC should be content to run the ball against a week Cincy front. The under was 8-1 in Chiefs home games last regular season, and was a push in Week 1 versus the Ravens if you shopped for the best number.

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