Week 1 is often the hardest time to make predictions, as we don’t know what the 2025 iterations of the Kansas City Chiefs or Los Angeles Chargers truly look like. While both teams are among the most talented in the league, who will emerge victorious in the first international game of the season?
Chargers-Chiefs Week 1 Predictions, Spreads, Best Prop Bets
Chiefs (-3) vs Chargers
Over/Under: 45.5 points
Chiefs-Chargers Spread Prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers enter the season in a similar situation, as two talented rosters missing one key piece of their offense. For the Chiefs, it’s wide receiver Rashee Rice, who will miss the first six games of the season with a suspension. The Chargers, meanwhile, must make do without superstar left tackle Rashawn Slater for the entire year.
While Slater’s loss is unfortunate, the Chargers have the pieces to overcome this loss. Second-year pro Joe Alt is still a franchise cornerstone, and the team upgraded the interior offensive line with free agent signee Mekhi Becton. The Chiefs, meanwhile, must hope that former first-round pick Xavier Worthy can find more consistency after an up-and-down rookie season and that future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce has a little more gas left in his tank.
With both defenses falling in the “good but not great” category and both head coaches among the best in the league, this could come down to the quarterback position. Patrick Mahomes is better than Justin Herbert, but the gap isn’t that wide. The Chiefs may have the better quarterback, but the questions on the offensive line, combined with the lack of reliable weapons, could put the team on upset watch.
Prediction: Chargers win
Over/Under: UNDER
Best Prop Bets
Quentin Johnston: UNDER 29.5 Receiving Yards
Quentin Johnston had something of a breakout season last year, finishing the campaign with a respectable 55 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. However, most of that production came from a remarkably underwhelming wide receiver depth chart. Ladd McConkey is still here, and Keenan Allen and second-round pick Tre Harris will probably pass Johnston on the depth chart. The 2023 first-round pick will likely be an afterthought in this offense, and you could make a pretty penny betting against him.
Omarion Hampton: OVER 49.5 Rushing Yards
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh loves running the football more than anyone and should feed his first-round pick early and often. Perhaps Najee Harris will be healthy enough to suit up in Week 1, but the veteran missed the vast majority of the offseason recovering from his eye injury. Hampton will be the starter and should easily exceed the 49.5-yard rushing prop.
Justin Herbert: UNDER 30.5 Pass Attempts
In that same vein, look for Justin Herbert to fall short of the 30 pass attempts. Harbaugh wants to win games on the ground and only adopts a pass-first mindset in shootouts. While the Chiefs offense is good, it’s probably not good enough to force Herbert to drop back this frequently. Look for the Chargers to win this game by controlling the clock and dominating on the ground.
Main Photo: Denny Medley – Imagn Images
