The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will begin the 2023 season by hosting the Detroit Lions in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday night.

When sportsbooks initially set the opening lines for the NFL’s Week 1 matchups in early May, they had the Kansas City Chiefs as 6.5-point favorites. Over nearly four months, there was just one adjustment to the line, briefly shifting to Chiefs -7 in August before returning to Chiefs -6.5.

However, everything changed on Tuesday due to a significant development.

News broke that Travis Kelce, the superstar tight end for the Chiefs, had hyperextended his knee, casting uncertainty over his availability for Thursday’s game. In response to this update, the betting line at FanDuel shifted to Chiefs -5.5. The line will likely move again if Kelce is sidelined for Week 1.

Chiefs vs. Lions Odds and Game Info

• Moneyline: Chiefs (-245) | Detroit (+200)

• Spread: Chiefs -5.5 (-105) | Lions +5.5 (-115)

• Total: 52.5 over (-112) | Under (-108)

• Game info: Thursday, Sept. 7th, 8:20 PM ET

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Kansas City enjoys the benefit of playing on their home turf and the advantage of having Patrick Mahomes, the current NFL and Super Bowl MVP. It’s evident why they are heavily favored. They continue to be the frontrunners for this season’s Super Bowl with odds of +600.

The Lions secured a prime-time slot, demonstrating that they demand attention, especially after their strong performance last season, coming in second in the NFC North in 2022 and finishing with an 8-2 record in the final ten games of 2022.

They now stand as the frontrunners to win the division.

Jahmyr Gibbs Over 31.5 Receiving Yards | -115 at DraftKings

Jahmyr Gibbs, who was selected 12th overall by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, is anticipated to play a significant role right from the start within the Detroit offense. The Lions were particularly impressed with Gibbs’ dual-threat capabilities, both as a ball carrier and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

This matchup bodes well for his debut, especially given the likelihood of the Lions trailing in this game, as hinted by the point spread. In such a scenario, Detroit may need to pass more frequently than they’d prefer. With Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams serving a six-game suspension, Gibbs is poised to shoulder a substantial portion of the receiving duties.

Isaiah Pacheco Over 50.5 Rushing Yards | -110 at DraftKings

Pacheco is slated to take on the primary running back role for the Chiefs in the upcoming season and enjoys an excellent matchup in Week 1. As previously mentioned, the Chiefs stand as 5.5-point favorites, suggesting a potential scenario where they take an early lead. This could pave the way for a run-heavy game strategy by Kansas City, with Pacheco likely being the beneficiary of ample carries.

Furthermore, Detroit ranked 30th in yards per carry allowed last season, indicating that Pacheco might not require a high volume of carries to surpass this yardage threshold. If Kelce can’t go, the Chiefs will have to lean elsewhere on offense.

Conclusion

While the Chiefs held the top spot as the NFL’s best team last season, they struggled to cover the spread consistently. In the 2022 regular season, they managed to cover only 42.1% of the time, resulting in an 8-11-1 record.

On the other hand, Detroit had a remarkable performance in 2022, boasting the second-best ATS record, covering 70.6% of the time with a 12-5-0 record.

Nevertheless, it remains a tough decision to bet against the Chiefs, even if there might be a lingering Super Bowl hangover. While I have a favorable opinion of the Lions, their limited experience in winning big games makes it hard to bet against the Chiefs.

I’ll take the Chiefs to cover in what promises to be an entertaining Thursday night matchup.

Mandatory Credit: Getty Images