Chiefs favored over Chargers in ‘MNF’

By Jim Barnes Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Banners showing players from the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs hang from Azte ... — Banners showing players from the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs hang from Aztec Stadium, days before an NFL football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Mexico City. The Chargers face the Chiefs on Monday, Nov. 18. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

An aerial view of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, where the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams will face off for a regular-season Monday Night Football game. Heavy rain and heavy use last year left the grass unfit for the AFC matchup, forcing the Chiefs-Rams game to be relocated to Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)

The Kansas City Chiefs missed out on a chance to play in Mexico City last season because of poor field conditions, and bettors are expecting them to make the most of their opportunity to play in Estadio Azteca on Monday.

The Chiefs spent most of the week as 3½-point favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in the neutral-site game. The line moved to 4 on Sunday and has now reached as high as 5½ in betting Monday. The total is 52½ and 53 around the market.

The line is inflated “due to books having giant parlay liability that has rolled in from Sunday” on the Chiefs, Caesars Entertainment director of trading Jeff Davis said via email.

Caesars did meet some sharp resistance on the Chargers when the line moved to 5½, he said.

The total has been evenly bet, but parlay liability is tied to the over, Davis said.

Kansas City was scheduled to face the Los Angeles Rams in Mexico City last season, but the subpar state of the field caused the game to be moved to Los Angeles. The Rams defeated the Chiefs 54-51 in one of the most memorable games of the season.

The Chiefs (6-4) have lost four of their last six, including last week’s 35-32 defeat at Tennessee in quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ return from a leg injury. Kansas City was one of the Super Bowl favorites coming into the season, but is now facing steep competition its own division from the Raiders (6-4), who will move into first place in the AFC West is the Chiefs lose Monday.

Kansas City is 5-5 against the spread this season, and its games have gone 7-3 to the over.

The Chargers (4-6) have had extra rest after losing to the Raiders 26-24 in a Thursday night game Nov. 7. Like Kansas City, Los Angeles has also lost four of its last six and is on the fringe of the postseason race after reaching the divisional playoffs last season.

The Chargers are 3-5-2 ATS, and their games have gone 7-3 to the under.

More Betting: Follow at reviewjournal.com/betting.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.