The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will begin their quest for an eighth consecutive AFC West title when they host the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday. Kansas City (14-3) matched the franchise record for victories last season, winning 14 games for the second time in three years as it reached double-digits for the ninth time in 10 campaigns. Detroit (9-8), which went 3-13-1 the previous year, won eight of its final 10 games in 2022 to finish with its first winning record in five seasons. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce suffered a knee injury in practice on Tuesday and may be sidelined.
Kickoff from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Kansas City is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Chiefs vs. Lions odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 52.5. Before locking in any Lions vs. Chiefs picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up more than $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 163-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It also is on a 17-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated Chiefs vs. Lions 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Lions vs. Chiefs:
- Chiefs vs. Lions spread: Kansas City -4.5
- Chiefs vs. Lions over/under: 52.5 points
- Chiefs vs. Lions money line: Kansas City -225, Detroit +185
- KC: Chiefs have scored 30 or more points in an NFL-record seven straight season-openers
- DET: Lions have lost seven consecutive meetings with defending Super Bowl champions
- Chiefs vs. Lions picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Chiefs can cover
Kansas City has won eight consecutive season-openers, the last five with Patrick Mahomes under center. The 27-year-old superstar quarterback has thrown for 1,542 yards and 18 touchdowns without an interception in his five victories, recording at least three scoring passes in each contest. Mahomes owns a 13-3 career record with 49 TD tosses and only four interceptions in the month of September.
The 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes has won 16 straight regular-season games against NFC opponents – the longest streak by a quarterback since 1970. One of those wins came against the Lions in 2019, when he threw for 315 yards in a 34-30 triumph at Detroit. The Chiefs went 5-0 against the spread versus NFC teams last season and are 6-2 against the number in their last eight season-openers. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Lions can cover
Despite its current winless streak, Detroit has performed well offensively in season-openers of late. The Lions have scored at least 23 points in each of their last four Week 1 contests, recording 33 and 35 the last two years. Jared Goff has thrown nine touchdown passes in six career openers, five coming in two games since being acquired from the Los Angeles Rams prior to the 2021 campaign.
The 28-year-old quarterback will need to pick up where he left off last season, as he had 18 TD tosses and just one interception over his final 11 contests. Goff came up with a monstrous effort in his only previous meeting with Kansas City while with the Rams in 2018. He completed 31-of-49 pass attempts for 413 yards and threw for four touchdowns while running for another in a 54-51 victory in the only game in NFL history in which both teams scored 50 points. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Chiefs vs. Lions picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under the total, projecting the teams combine for 52 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. Head to SportsLine to see its NFL picks.
So who wins Chiefs vs. Lions in the NFL Kickoff Game 2023, and which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lions vs. Chiefs spread to back, all from the model that has returned more than $7,000 on top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
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Author: CBS Sports Staff
September 6, 2023 | 10:31 am
