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Best Bets for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco in Week 1 against Ravens
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Best Bets for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco in Week 1 against Ravens

The Chiefs take on the Ravens in Week 1 on Thursday Night Football with a revamped offense and ambitions for a third straight win.

Unlike last year, Kansas City’s stars are playing and healthy, and the Chiefs are poised to repeat last year’s epic AFC Championship win. While the team didn’t fare well in Week 1 against the Lions in 2023, they’re in much better shape this time around.

Some players are poised for monster games as the year begins. Let’s take a look at the best bets for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco heading into Week 1.

This bet is available at DraftKings Sportsbook and is a Patrick Mahomes hit with regularity last season. He reached that rushing total in eight of his first nine games in 2023, averaging just under 33 yards per game over that span.

We’ve seen Mahomes use his legs a lot against top defenders. He had just 15 rushing yards against the Ravens in the AFC title game, even though the final three plays were all kneels. Mahomes took on the 49ers in the Super Bowl, sprinting for 66 to lead the Chiefs.

Baltimore led the NFL in sacks (60) last season and Mahomes won’t be afraid to evade pass rushers with a run. Expect him to break a few runs and top that total.

Unlike last season, Travis Kelce is healthy this time around. He may have had his worst statistical season since his early years, but he proved in the playoffs that he is still an elite pass-catcher by averaging over 88 receiving yards per game.

He caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a TD against the Ravens in that AFC Championship game and should still be heavily involved. First-round rookie Xavier Worthy’s ability to stretch defenses will give Kelce some extra room to operate underneath.

Kelce has hit this prop in six of his first seven games and nine of 15 overall. He may not be a 1,300-yard player right now, but he’s still more than capable of easily throwing for 57 yards in Week 1. You can also find this prop on DraftKings.

This is an alternate reception line available at FanDuel Sportsbook. When Rashee Rice became a starter, he became Mahomes’ top target. Rice has 92 targets in the last 11 games compared to Kelce’s 86, and he has cleaned up at least eight catches five times.

Rice averaged just 4.8 yards deep, so he’s often involved in screen passes and short, quick throws that almost effectively serve as run plays. Those catches quickly drive up his reception total, making +205 (bet $10 to win $20.50) odds an excellent value.

The Ravens will likely focus primarily on containing Kelce after his monstrous play in the playoffs, and Rice will likely benefit from that reduced attention.

With Jerick McKinnon gone and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/non-football injury list, Isiah Pacheco should command snaps on passing downs. Samaje Perine could eventually take over that role, but he’s still learning the offense and won’t be ready for significant playing time on Thursday.

Pacheco has hit the plug in seven of his 14 regular-season games in 2023, but that was against a crowded backfield. He’s worked hard to hone his pass-catching skills over the offseason, and this is his first chance to show he can handle a true dual-threat workload.

Like Rice, Pacheco will benefit from a strong Ravens defensive front that should force Mahomes to get the ball out of his hands quickly. Needing just 15 yards, Pacheco could capitalize on this prop with just one screen pass. It’s going to be a big season for the running back in his third year, and we may not see his receiving prop this low for much longer.

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The listings are updated periodically and may change.