Lions vs. Chiefs matchup preview: Odds, 3 best bets, and top sportsbook welcome bonuses for NFL

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After six months without meaningful NFL action, America’s most popular sport returns Thursday night as the Detroit Lions take on the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

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Kansas City has one of the top home-field advantages in the NFL, thanks to the ruckus environment at Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead seats over 76,000 Chiefs fans, making it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to communicate.

The Chiefs were 8-1 at Arrowhead last season, and the average margin of victory was a tick above seven points. Plus, Patrick Mahomes has been a menace to the NFC in his five years as Kansas City’s starter. The two-time MVP is 18-2 against the NFC and is 4-0 vs. the NFC North.

Those trends will continue Thursday night, with the Chiefs covering the spread in a Week 1 victory.

However, Kansas City could be without TE Travis Kelce after the four-time All-Pro suffered a knee injury in practice Tuesday. Kelce is questionable to suit up, but the Chiefs have a proven ability to plug and play its offensive personnel, even when a star player is out.

The former first-overall draft pick quietly had an impressive 2022 campaign. Jared Goff’s 4,438 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns ranked sixth and fifth in the NFL, respectively.

Goff’s top target was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who reeled in 1,161 yards and six touchdowns. Behind St. Brown was WR2 Kalif Raymond with only 616 yards.

Detroit improved its aerial attack this offseason, most notably by selecting RB Jahmyr Gibbs in round one of the 2023 NFL Draft. Gibbs is a prolific pass catcher, tallying 44 receptions for 444 yards with Alabama last season, the second-most receiving yards among SEC RBs.

In round two, the Lions drafted Purdue TE Sam LaPorta, who had 657 yards for the Boilermakers last year. The 22-year-old led the Big Ten in TE receiving yards.

With more options in the passing game beyond St. Brown, expect Goff to light up the scoreboard.

Plus, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that Chiefs DT Chris Jones is likely to miss Week 1 due to ongoing contract negotiations. Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022 following a campaign with 15.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

With Jones likely sitting vs. Detroit, Goff will have extra time in the pocket to sling the rock.

Kansas City boasted one of the NFL’s best rush defenses a season ago, allowing just 107 yards per game. But with Jones unlikely to suit up, running through the interior offensive line will be significantly less challenging for Detroit.

The Lions averaged 128 yards on the ground last year but lost its top two ball carriers in the offseason. In steps David Montgomery and Gibbs, but the rookie figures to be a larger threat in the passing game, paving the way for Montgomery to get most of the handoffs.

Last season with the Chicago Bears, D-Mont eclipsed 48 rushing yards in nine of 16 games. But it’s important to note that Chicago had the NFL’s worst passing offense, making it painfully obvious that the Monsters of the Midway planned to run the ball as often as possible.

With a more well-rounded offense, Montgomery will flourish in Week 1.

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