The NFL is back for the 2024/25 season and this week we’ll see two teams with good starts to the season go head-to-head as the Los Angeles Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs in week 4.
The Chargers started the season with two wins and a defeat from their opening three games so far, while the Chiefs have gone 3-0 as they look to defend their Super Bowl title and become the first team to win three-in-a-row.
We’ll take a look at the two teams and provide you with our best free NFL betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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Pre-season is a period for coaches to implement their ideas and for players to gain fitness and match sharpness after a period of time off, so results are not always the most important thing.
Los Angeles opened their pre-season with a heavy 16-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, before falling to a 9-13 loss to their local rivals the Los Angeles Rams the following week. They did pick up a win however in their final preparation game, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 26-19.
That set them up for the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders where they claimed a comfortable 22-10 win, before following that up with a dominant 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers in week 2. They suffered defeat last time out however, losing 10-20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Chiefs were more free-scoring than the Chargers in pre-season, but their defense has been wide open as they suffered three straight defeats.
They took on the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road and were beaten 13-26 in their opening game, before a close fought game against the Detroit Lions saw them lose 23-24 at home. They then closed out pre-season with a 21-34 defeat to the Chicago Bears after being blown away 14-0 in the third quarter, despite pulling it back in the final quarter.
In the opening game of the regular season the team though they clicked right into gear. The Baltimore Ravens were controlled to earn a 27-20 win before they made it 2-0 with a fourth-quarter comeback against the Cincinatti Bengals thanks to a late field goal from Harrison Butker.
Last weekend they cruised to a 22-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons last time out to move to 3-0, although it took a big stop in the final minute at fourth-and-inches to see it out.
The Chiefs may be the travelling team for this game officially, but this is a home away from home for the reigning and defending Super Bowl champions in week 4.
The Chargers desperately need a win over the Chiefs here if there is any hope for drama in the AFC West this season, but it just seems super unlikely even if Kansas City have lost Isiah Pacheco to the treatment room through injury. But they still have the best quarterback arguably in the history of the sport in Patrick Mahomes, and he is performing at an elite level once again.
Defensively the Chiefs look pretty strong too. The big stop at the end of the game against the Falcons will give the team great confidence, and against a Chargers team who haven’t been at their best offensively there is a good chance for a complete performance to come to fruition.
Backing them to win by more than a touchdown may seem a little high, but this is a ground where they will be well-supported and they have the quality to punish the Chargers if they’re not at their best. There is good value in this bet, so take it while it lasts.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
This is a difficult market to predict for this game. With Justin Herbert ruled out after re-injuring his ankle last time out, the Chargers are considerably weaker without their star quarterback. They also ended the game without Joey Bosa, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, although it’s unclear if they’ll be back.
So far this season the Chiefs are averaging 46.5 total points in their games this season, while the Chargers are averaging 38.5 total points in their games. They’re also yet to see any over land in their games thus far, while Kansas have seen the over hit twice in three games.
The last five meetings between the teams have seen this total supposed in four of them, and comfortably too – although last time out only 35 points were scored.
At +100 it would be negligent to ignore the value and quality on show, so this is a bet to take.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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