Chiefs

Chiefs have dominated the spread against Denver, but bettors like Broncos this week

The Chiefs have won eight straight games against the Broncos, their longest streak in the series since the 1960s.

And they’ve been nearly as good against the spread during that stretch.

Not only have the Chiefs dominated the rivalry over the past four seasons, they covered the spread in seven of those eight games, including their 30-6 blowout earlier this season, a game in which the Chiefs were favored by just a field goal.

So put this in that context: The betting public likes the Broncos on Sunday.

The Chiefs are favored by 9 1/2 points in the Week 15 matchup after opening as a 13-point favorite, but more than 60 percent of the money has been placed on the Broncos to cover the line.

Those bettors are putting their faith in quarterback Drew Lock, a Lee’s Summit High School and University of Missouri graduate. He’s led Denver to consecutive victories in his first two starts and will return to his hometown trying to improve to 3-0 in his rookie season. The Broncos have covered the spread in both of Lock’s starts.

The Broncos enter Arrowhead Stadium Sunday sitting only 5-8 this season, out of the playoff race, but they’re actually one of the league’s best teams against the spread at 8-5. The Chiefs are also 8-5 against the spread this year after covering in three straight games — they were underdogs in New England last week but beat the Patriots 23-16.

The line isn’t the only number to experience some movement ahead of Sunday’s game. The over/under opened at 46 1/2 total points but has since moved to 44 1/2, per the sportsbook Scores and Odds.

This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 2:19 PM.

Sam McDowell
The Kansas City Star
Sam McDowell is a columnist for The Star who has covered Kansas City sports for more than a decade. He has won national awards for columns, features and enterprise work. The Headliner Awards named him the 2024 national sports columnist of the year.
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