Thursday Night Football Lions vs Chiefs NFL Preview and More for September 6 - Ride the Line Ep. #53

A new episode of Ride the Line with Grant Mitchell and Tanner Kern is now live on all WSN platforms!

No, you’re not dreaming, the NFL is BACK with Lions vs Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, and the Ride the Line podcast with Grant Mitchell and Tanner Kern has provided their favorite bets and picks for the matchup.

Lions vs Chiefs TNF Week 1 Preview

The Detroit Lions were one of the best teams against the spread last season with a 12-5 record. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl but only managed to go 8-11-1 in the books.

Kansas City has built so much good faith and blind trust from the betting public that it is often hit with huge spreads that even its high-powered offense would have a tough time covering. That means that their outright ability to dominate teams has not necessarily translated to profitability.

The huge news of the week is that All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee in practice and is questionable leading up to kick-off. Kelce has previously missed just one game due to injury since his rookie season, and his potential absence could have a resounding impact on the Chiefs offense.

That said, Patrick Mahomes is used to working with inferior talent at the receiving positions, and Andy Reid is one of the best game-callers there is. They’d both prefer to have Kelce out there but should work their magic with or without him.

Chris Jones is also a near-lock to miss the game because of an ongoing contract dispute. He’s definitively one of the two best defensive tackles in the league and the only true sack artist on the Chiefs’ defensive front, and his not being there should do wonders for the Lions offense.

Jared Goff had a career year in 2022 and is excellent when he is not pressured. The Chiefs have young, improving talents on the defensive line, but none of them provide close to the same impact that Jones does, and Goff should reap the rewards.

Chiefs vs Lions NFL Picks and Best Bets

The Ride the Line co-hosts were split in their opinions. Although both acknowledge that this is a coin-flip game and wouldn’t hammer any game sides, Grant is looking at the Chiefs and the over, while Tanner likes the Lions and the under.

Grant believes in the Chiefs’ ability to score points and also thinks the Lions are being overvalued. They were excellent on offense but fielded one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, one that they did not significantly improve over the summer. They also have no experience dealing with expectations and are suddenly being asked to go toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champions in primetime.

Tanner likes the Lions because of Dan Campbell’s infectious attitude and because of the potential losses of Kelce and Jones. He also thinks that the Lions offense will be explosive despite Jared Goff only throwing six touchdowns on the road in 2022.

Grant’s favorite player prop is Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to announce his arrival in the professional leagues with a strong receiving day by going over 31.5 yards. Gibbs is a great pass-catcher coming out of the backfield and has legit game-breaking speed. If the Chiefs struggle to generate a pass-rush, Gibbs should be open on a lot of short and intermediate routes.

Tanner also likes a Lions receiving prop for his favorite prop bet, but he’s going with Amon-Ra St. Brown over 77.5 yards. The young wideout broke out last season and averaged about 10 targets per game, and as Tanner noted, targets lead to catches.

The Chiefs defense surrendered 225 passing yards per game in 2022, which ranked 20th in the league. Their ability to score points will also put pressure on the Lions to respond in kind, which should force Goff and the receivers to have strong days.

Check back on Friday for another episode of Ride the Line with more NFL betting picks for Week 1!