Chiefs vs Packers: Odds, weather, injuries, life without Patrick Mahomes
By Joel Wagler
The Kansas City Chiefs must face the Green Bay Packers without Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night. Oddsmakers don’t like their chances.
This matchup was supposed to be two top teams with two top tier quarterbacks facing off in primetime at Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) will take to the field against the Green Bay Packers (6-1) without Patrick Mahomes. The game starts at 7:20 P.M. CT on Fox, or you can live stream all the action on FuboTV.
Chiefs vs. Packers: The Betting Odds and Lines
The Chiefs are at home, but the oddsmakers are not impressed. Without Mahomes, Kansas City sits as a 4.5 point underdog, courtesy of The Action Network. It seems a little surprising that number isn’t higher! With 69 percent of the money on Green Bay, it would not be surprising if that line moves even more against the Chiefs.
The over/under line is interesting in that it is currently at 47.5. Oddsmakers still think the Chiefs will be able to score with Matt Moore at the helm. The smart money agrees as 63 percent of the betters are taking the over.
People love the underdog, and 57 percent of the bets are on the Chiefs’ money line, which sits at +160. It seems people are taking a chance the home field advantage may kick-in. Keep in mind Kansas City has dropped two in a row at home WITH Mahomes on the field.
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Chiefs vs. Packers: The Weather
According to NFLWeather.com, this night game will be chilly and cloudy, with temperatures hovering in the mid-to-high forties throughout the game. The good news is rain is not in the forecast at this time. Maybe not ideal weather for tailgating, but fans will find a way and look for the scent of barbeque to still hang over the parking lot!
Chiefs Key Injures
The list of Chiefs who will miss this game is long and distinguished. Though most of these players are listed as questionable, Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel announced via Twitter that Mahomes, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Kendall Fuller, Eric Fisher, and Andrew Wylie are all out this week.
According to Kissel, Sammy Watkins will play, which should help Matt Moore and the offense. He will need every weapon he can get!
As bad as not having Mahomes on offense, the defense missing the likes of Jones, Clark, and Fuller does not bode well. Aaron Rodgers is still ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards, so there are plenty of hurdles on that side of the ball for Kansas City to overcome.
Packers Key Injuries
Green Bay has several nicked up players of their own. Rodgers is listed as probable and it would be shocking if he didn’t play. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Davante Adams, Jimmy Graham, and Corey Linsley are all listed as questionable on offense
Defensive players Darnell Savage Jr., Tramon Williams Sr., and Will Redmond are all questionable for Sunday as well. Even if one or two of these players don’t suit up, the Packers’ secondary will be tested.
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Chiefs must figure out how to win without Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City’s season took a turn for the worse when Mahomes was hurt last Thursday against the Broncos on a routine quarterback sneak. It was an unfortunate fluke of an injury, but the Chiefs have to overcome that. Luckily, they have Andy Reid manning this ship, a coach with 200 wins amassed under his belt. Reid has 182 career wins in games in which Patrick Mahomes did not play.
Reid has ten days to figure out a gameplan suited to the lesser talents of Matt Moore. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with and how it will work against a quality opponent like Green Bay.
The timing of Mahomes injury isn’t ideal with the Chiefs scheduled to play the Packers and the Vikings the next two weeks, and the Titans in week ten. If the Chiefs can somehow win two of those games with Moore, or even one, they shouldn’t be in bad shape. Better yet, maybe Mahomes can return quicker than expected. This time off might also give Mahomes’ faulty ankle a chance to heal along with his knee.
Farzin Vousoughian of Arrowhead Addict thinks Sean McCoy will have a big day. Look for the Chiefs to rely more on the running game, which will be countered by defenses stacking the box more against the Chiefs than Mahomes. Teams will want Moore to beat them, and this is where hopefully, Reid will be prepared.
It will be interesting to see what happens in this game. Fans shouldn’t panic if Kansas City loses. They are still in the driver’s seat in the AFC West, mainly because Mahomes should be back before the Chiefs play any of their divisional rivals again.
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The betting lines do not show a lot of confidence in Kansas City’s chances to win without their MVP quarterback, but the spread isn’t so out of line that this game is a lock for the Packers. Yes, the Chiefs have a lot of injuries to key players, but they also have Andy Reid. Maybe he can produce some magic!