Kansas City Chiefs Heavy Favorite at Home Vs Chicago Bears

The Kansas City Chiefs have struggled in the first quarter of the 2015 NFL season, but they are still the heavy favorite against the Chicago Bears Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The KC Chiefs have lost their last three games and are 1-3 on the season, yet oddsmakers have them as a big favorite to be the Bears at home on Sunday.

The Chiefs are favorited by anywhere from nine points to ten points, according to ESPN.

The KC Chiefs and the Chicago Bears have identical 1-3 records thus far, and both have surrendered a whopping 125 points in their four games. The biggest difference appears to be the offenses for each team. The Chiefs have scored 100 points and the Bears just 68.

If you figure in the difference in points per game, and the usual three-point allowance usually made for home field advantage, then these lines make perfect sense.

The Bears have had injuries to major components of their offense. Starting quarterback Jay Cutler missed week three with a hamstring injury and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has missed the last three weeks to a bad hammy.

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Both have participated on a limited basis in practice on Thursday, according the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs are ranked 12th in the league in total offense with 1,431 yards. The Bears are 25th with 1,254 yards. The Chiefs are 13th in passing yards; the Bears 28th. Kansas City is 14th in rushing; Chicago is ranked tenth.

Those trends bode well for the KC Chiefs, especially if Cutler and Jeffery are less than 100% because the home team is ranked 28th against the pass on defense. Weakness versus weakness means the Chiefs aren’t facing a ferocious air attack this week.

This game could come down to who can stop the rushing game. The Chiefs are ranked 16th against the run this seasons while the Bears are 24th.

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Jamaal Charles is the fourth highest rusher in the NFL this season with 306 yards. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has four touchdowns on the ground.

His counterpart is having a terrific season as well. Matt Forte ranks second in rushing yards with 367.

So, these teams seem to be fairly evenly matched. Both have good running backs. Both are in the bottom half of the league in stopping the run. The Bears passing attack hasn’t been good, but the Chiefs passing defense has been equally grim.

The Chiefs have scored 32 more points on the season but couldn’t muster a touchdown on the road against the Bengals last week. The Bears are at minus two in turnovers, but the KC Chiefs are at minus four.

If Cutler and Jeffery are close to 100%, this game easily could be closer than nine points. Having those key players healthy will instantly improve the Bears’ offense and could be problematic for the Chiefs.

Keep an eye on the injury reports for those players. If they play, this line is way too high. If they don’t, or if the Kansas City Chiefs can get some momentum from the raucous Arrowhead faithful, they could win by double digits.

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