Thursday Night Football odds, spread, line: Chargers vs. Chiefs prediction, NFL picks by expert who is 17-5

Two of the top players in the NFL will step into the spotlight on Thursday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium. Justin Herbert will lead the Los Angeles Chargers, with Patrick Mahomes keying the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional matchup to kick off the Week 2 NFL schedule. Both teams began the 2022 campaign with victories, setting up a game with sky-high stakes. The Chiefs knocked off the Arizona Cardinals on the road in Week 1, while the Chargers took down the Las Vegas Raiders in Los Angeles.

Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Kansas City. Caesars Sportsbook lists Kansas City as a four-point home favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 54 in the latest Chargers vs. Chiefs odds. Before making any Chiefs vs. Chargers picks or NFL predictions for Thursday Night Football, see what SportsLine expert R.J. White has to say.

White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes as SportsLine’s No. 1 NFL expert in picks against the spread, and went 445-378-24 on his ATS picks from 2017-21, which returned $2,542 to $100 players. He’s also gone a whopping 17-5-1 on his NFL picks involving the Chargers, meaning he’s well-qualified for this selection.

He’s well-known for cashing out big in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest twice since 2015. White also cashed big on his NFL futures in 2021, including nailing Jonathan Taylor as the NFL rushing leader at 10-1. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, White has locked in on Chargers vs. Chiefs from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick. You can visit SportsLine now to see his TNF picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Chiefs vs. Chargers:

• Chargers vs. Chiefs spread: Chiefs -4
• Chargers vs. Chiefs over/under: 54 points
• Chargers vs. Chiefs money line: Chiefs -210, Chargers +175
• LAC: Chargers are 9-9 against the spread in the last 18 games
• KC: Chiefs are 11-10 against the spread in the last 21 games
• Chargers vs. Chiefs picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Chargers can cover

Los Angeles has a difficult matchup on defense, but the Chargers passed their first test with flying colors in Week 1. The Chargers held a highly capable Raiders offense to only 320 yards and 19 points last week, with Las Vegas rushing for only 64 yards. Los Angeles relied on its pass rush to the tune of six sacks, and Las Vegas completed fewer than 60% of its passes.

Joey Bosa is one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL with 59.5 sacks by the age of 27 and began the season with 1.5 sacks last week. Bosa is joined by Khalil Mack, and the six-time Pro Bowl selection has 79.5 career sacks, including three in Week 1. On offense, the Chargers are dynamic with Justin Herbert, who ranks in the top five of the NFL in passing offense, scoring offense, and total offense in 2021. Herbert threw for 279 yards on 34 attempts with three touchdowns in the opener and accumulated more than 5,000 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in 2021. The Chargers have a bevy of pass-catching options, and running back Austin Ekeler ranked in the top six of the NFL in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns last season.

Why the Chiefs can cover

Kansas City’s Week 1 performance was dominant. Patrick Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns, the most passing yards and touchdowns of any quarterback in the opening week. It was Mahomes’ sixth career game with five or more passing touchdowns, and the Chiefs produced 44 points and 488 total yards. Kansas City’s showing included 33 first downs and a third-down conversion rate of more than 60%.

The Chiefs also did not allow a sack and went 6-for-6 in the red zone in scoring touchdowns. With Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs were in the top four of the NFL in total offense and scoring offense last season, and the former MVP has at least 4,000 passing yards in four straight seasons. Mahomes has 156 touchdown passes in 64 career starts, and he owns a 21-3 career record against AFC West opponents, the best mark of any quarterback since 2000 with at least 10 outings. Mahomes is also armed with an array of pass-catchers, headlined by the NFL’s best tight end, Travis Kelce, who has six straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

How to make Chiefs vs. Chargers picks

For Thursday Night Football, White is leaning Under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s only sharing what it is and which side of the Chargers vs. Chiefs spread to back at SportsLine.

So who wins Chiefs vs. Chargers on Thursday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Chargers vs. Chiefs spread you should jump on, all from the NFL expert who’s an amazing 17-5 on picks involving Los Angeles, and find out.