Chiefs are an overwhelming favorite against 49ers among national experts

For the first time this season, the Chiefs enter a game as the overwhelming favorites among national observers.

Of the 45 NFL pundits I found who made picks for this week’s NFL games, only two went against red-hot Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium.

Here is the breakdown:

The eight CBS Sports predictors all see the Chiefs winning. Pete Prisco, Jason La Canfora, Will Brinson, Jared Dubin, Ryan Wilson, John Breech and Dave Richard all picked KC. Prisco wrote: “Too bad the Chiefs defense isn’t very good right now. That means we will see a shootout between Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo.”

All seven Sports Illustrated Monday Morning Quarterback writers predicted a Chiefs victory. That’s Albert Breer, Mitch Goldich, Jonathan Jones, Bette Marston, Mark Mravic and Jenny Vrentas.

It was a clean sweep for the Chiefs as all eight of the Pro Football Focus writers picked Kansas City to win.

Adam Stites was the only one of SB Nation’s seven experts to pick against the Chiefs. Ryan Van Bibber, Geoff Schwartz, Stephen White, Charles McDonald, Christian D’Andrea and RJ Ochoa forecast a Chiefs win.

“The Chiefs’ defense is giving up an average of more than 500 yards a games to opponents, so it’d be a great week for Jimmy Garoppolo to pad his stats,” Van Bibber wrote. “However, only one member of our little group is taking the 49ers.”

USA Today’s Nate Davis, Jarrett Bell, Mike Jones, Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz and Lorenzo Reyes are all going with the Chiefs.

This story was originally published September 23, 2018 at 8:29 AM.