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Las Vegas books will get ‘smoked’ if Chiefs-Ravens goes over

The Ravens-Chiefs showdown Monday is perhaps the most anticipated regular-season matchup since 2018, when the Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51 in the third highest-scoring game in NFL history.

A similar shootout on “Monday Night Football” would be a huge win for bettors and a big loss for Las Vegas sportsbooks, which have been inundated with money on the over.

The consensus total is 54½, but it’s as high as 55½ at multiple books, including William Hill, after it opened at 52.

A BetMGM bettor made a $95,454 straight bet to win $86,776 on the game to go over 54½ points.

“We need the under big,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said. “If it goes over, we’re smoked. If it goes Chiefs and over, we’re really smoked.”

Baltimore is a 3½-point favorite over Kansas City after the line opened at 3.

“We saw sharps playing Baltimore early last week,” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said. “But the action is very balanced right now. Not much of a decision yet. I’m pretty sure we will want the under.”

Sunset Station sportsbook director Chuck Esposito was more adamant. Asked what Station will need in the game, he texted “Definitely the UNDER!!!!”

Overs are 29-18 in NFL games this season after going 9-5 on Sunday.

“We need some unders. The overs are just barbecuing us,” Bogdanovich said. “These leagues like scoring. All the rules help them. The more action the better is their philosophy.”

The Chiefs beat the Ravens 33-28 in September last season. Baltimore, led by reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, is averaging 35.5 points per game this season. Kansas City, led by 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, is averaging 28.5 ppg.

Professional sports bettor Jeff Whitelaw, who went 3-0 ATS on his NFL plays this week in the Review-Journal, bet on the Ravens -3.

“Both teams are great offensively, but defensively the Ravens are far superior,” Whitelaw said. “Obviously, no one can stop Mahomes, but I believe they’ll be able to slow him down enough to cover the spread.”

Westgate vice president of risk Ed Salmons said Baltimore was his best bet this week.

“From what I’ve seen so far, the Ravens are just an all-around better team than the Chiefs,” he said. “The Ravens have more to prove in this game after they lost to Tennessee last year in the playoffs.

“They’re probably playing for home-field advantage right now and the playoff bye because there’s only one bye this year.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.

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