NFL Game preview: Chargers vs Chiefs Odds and Predictions - What to Expect From the 2022 NFL Season’s First Epic Clash

Chargers vs Chiefs Predictions: Recommended bets

• Chargers (+3.5) at Chiefs, -110 at FanDuel
• Justin Herbert over 282.5 passing yards, -117 at Caesars

Chargers vs Chiefs - The Season’s First Heavyweight Bout

A week into the 2022 NFL season, storylines already abound. Before we look at the Chargers vs Chiefs odds, let's do a roundup. 

On the happy side of the ledger, we have the Buffalo Bills, the consensus Super Bowl favorite whose week 1 showing suggests we may have underrated them. We’ve also got the Tom Brady-Buccaneers, who, despite having to settle for far too many field goals in Week 1, dominated the Cowboys and are rightfully the favorites in the NFC. 

On the flip side, we have disappointments, misfires, and pending disasters. The Super Bowl champion Rams won't be happy about getting run off their home field by the Bills. The Packers - namely two-time defending MVP Aaron Rodgers - will similarly lament the absence of depth and quality in their receiving corps. The Bengals will be cursing five turnovers and vital costly kicking game miscues against the Steelers. The Cowboys’ completely toothless performance against the Bucs suggested a looming disaster well before quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for “several weeks” in the latter stages. 

All this and a word about the division that we touted all offseason as the NFL’s best in 2022: the AFC West. One week in, it still feels safe to assume that this division will give us a thrilling battle at the top. However, in the aftermath of Russell Wilson's underwhelming return to Seattle, the race seems far less wide-open than we’d envisioned. The Chiefs, as they tend to be, are at the head of the class, with only the Chargers (who knocked off the Raiders in Week 1) poised to pose a legitimate threat to their half-dozen-year reign. And they’re about to square off, allowing us to give some interesting Chargers vs Chiefs predictions!

On Thursday, September 15, at 8:15 pm ET at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (and televised on Amazon Prime), the Chargers vs Chiefs should be a spectacle. Two of the NFL’s best and most explosive teams, led by two of the NFL’s true superstar quarterbacks, in the first epic battle of what should be a thrilling AFC West race.

Los Angeles Chargers Team News

In their Week 1 opener at home against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers turned in a truly stellar first-half performance.

In those first 30 minutes, the offense was unstoppable. The superstar and probable MVP candidate Justin Herbert led the way, completing 17 of 20 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and was a perfect five-for-five for 139 yards and a touchdown on throws traveling more than 10 yards in the air.

Though the Chargers slowed down in the second half, it was an excellent showing. Herbert wound up the game 26-of-34, for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Austin Ekeler chipped in with 72 total yards. Keenan Allen (4 catches, 66 yards), DeAndre Carter (3 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD), and tight end Gerald Everett (3 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD) led a group of nine receivers who caught at least one pass. The work done by the offensive line against a front featuring Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones was most impressive, though. The big guys kept Herbert clean, allowing zero sacks and minimal pressure, as evidenced by Herbert only having to scramble once.

Defensively, the Chargers played well for much of the game, sacking Derek Carr five times and allowing just three points in the first half. They, too, fell off a bit after halftime, allowing the Raiders to climb back into the game with 10 third-quarter points and a touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter that trimmed the lead to five, and set up a two-point conversion that would have gotten them within a field goal. That the Chargers held on will encourage a team that’s struggled in these scenarios and is a point to consider when making Chargers vs Chiefs predictions. That they sealed the victory with back-to-back sacks, on third and fourth down, from Joey Bosa and newly-acquired Khalil Mack should inspire confidence in their defensive ceiling.

Of course, to pretend that this will be anywhere near that easy against the Mahomes-Chiefs juggernaut would be ridiculous. At the same time, there is no “stopping” that crew. When you’ve got Herbert behind an outstanding offensive line, spreading the ball around to Ekeler, Allen, Williams, Carter, Everett, and friends (to the tune of 283+ yards; this is perhaps the easiest of our Chargers vs Chiefs predictions), “pretty good” on defense is good enough to keep you hanging around (within 3.5 points, according to the Chargers vs Chiefs odds). 

Kansas City Chiefs Team News

One of the questions that dominated the offseason was how the Chiefs’ offense would evolve and adapt following the superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s trade to Miami. We’re admittedly just one week in, but based on early returns, the answer appears to be “quite well.”

What we saw from the Chiefs’ attack in Week 1 was nothing short of astounding. Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 360 yards, five touchdowns, and no picks. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who caught a lot of flack last season, looked like a multidimensional threat, with 76 total yards and two receiving TDs. The wide receiver duo of Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes Scantling collectively (10 catches on 12 targets, for 123 yards) filled the void left by Hill for one game, at least. And, of course, Travis Kelce remains unstoppable. The future Hall of Fame tight end turned in eight catches on nine targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. As a whole, the Chiefs ran 66 offensive plays in Week 1. An incredible 33 of those ended in a first down. These are points not lost by the sportsbooks in compiling their Chargers vs Chiefs odds.

It's worth noting that on the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs, while not as impressive as their offensive counterparts (but who could be?), kept Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (again, potential disaster alert!) in check, allowing just 282 total yards on 60 plays and only three conversions on 12 third down opportunities. Their total of two sacks of Murray (they got a third against the backup in garbage time) undersells the consistent pressure they generated. The job will not be as easy against a Chargers line with two elite pieces up front in left tackle Rashawn Slater and center Cory Lindsey.

This battle will be a vital one. An inability to generate pressure will leave the door open for Justin Herbert to pick apart the defense and for the Chargers to pile up points. Now, as we said about the Chiefs, the reality against this Herbert-led attack is that even a “good” showing will yield some points. If the Chiefs are going to win this game, they’ll need that “good” performance, but what they’ll really need is another impressive showing from Mahomes and their high-powered attack.

Chargers vs Chiefs Predictions

From a pure entertainment perspective, this game won’t be difficult to enjoy. The contest is potentially the pinnacle of not just the NFL’s opening fortnight but one of the season’s games. 

For someone looking to make Chargers Chiefs odds, it's a bit more challenging. As the Chiefs reminded us in Week 1, even without Tyreek Hill, when they’re humming, they are a bona fide juggernaut. However, the Chargers have exhibited that same penchant for devastating opposing defenses. That firepower on offense, combined with a defense led by Bosa, Mack, and superstar safety Derwin James, which profiles are stronger than that of the Chiefs, is enough to keep this game within four points, even in Kansas City.

Of course, doing so will require a strong showing from franchise quarterback Justin Herbert. With a solid offensive line in front of him and a good-but-not-great chief secondary to contend with, the over on his passing yards (282.5, per Chiefs vs Chargers odds) is one of the best calls on the board.

Conclusion

Thursday Night Football brings us the Broncos vs Seahawks will you be backing any of our predictions? Interested in more football content? Be sure to read our guide: How To Bet on American Football or our take a look at some of the best Football betting promos available. Visit our odds comparison tool to compare the latest odds. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the Chargers vs Chiefs odds?

At PointsBet, the Chargers vs Chiefs odds have the Kansas City Chefs as the favorites with odds of -210. The Chargers are the outside pick with odds of +175. 

Who do you predict will win in the Chargers vs Chiefs?

We expect the Los Angeles Chargers to be a solid bet at (+3.5), -110 at FanDuel.

Written by Emile Avanessian.

Emile is a one-time banker turned sports writer from the United States, now living in Barcelona, Spain. He has primarily written on the NBA and NFL for over 10 years but is also extremely knowledgeable about the EPL, college basketball, and football.  

He also writes for Squawka, and his work has been published in The Los Angeles Times, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, and on ESPN.