The Kansas City Chiefs have their second straight road game on Sunday, with Week 4 bringing a matchup against a bitter AFC West rival.

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers, 2-1 this season, await the reigning Super Bowl champions. While Kansas City recently holds a controlling lead in their series against Los Angeles, a new era of football has begun in California. On the other hand, injuries and a suspension of Derwin James could make things difficult for the home team.

How will the game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs on SI crew makes its predictions for week 4 of the 2024-2025 campaign.

Joshua Brisco: The Chiefs are a much better (and healthier) football team than the Chargers. Even as a long-term believer in the Jim Harbaugh/Justin Herbert duo, I’m selling LA stock in the short term. The 2-1 Chargers have wins over the Carolina Panthers and the team that lost to the Panthers (the Las Vegas Raiders). They’ve been decimated by injuries, and even if Herbert can play against Kansas City, he’ll be playing behind a patchwork offensive line due to a high ankle sprain. Travis Kelce is in a perfect position to get back on track, especially with Derwin James suspended, and I would be shocked if KC lost this game.

Still, I can’t shake the idea that this is a low-scoring Carson Steele show in which the Chiefs take an early lead and leave LA without much on tape. Despite making semi-serious 13-10 predictions all week, I believe KC will score a few more points without James or Joey Bosa on the field, but I don’t expect any huge fireworks during the Chiefs’ business trip.

Prediction: Chiefs 20, Chargers 10

Jordan Foote: Until proven otherwise, I remain confident the Chiefs will do just enough to get by in non-playoff games. This weekend should be no different, and the Chargers will give them plenty of room for error anyway. Similar to Brisco’s assessment, I think Harbaugh and Herbert will be a successful combination across the board. With so many injuries piling up and the offense not being strong yetBut it’s hard not to root for the Chiefs here. They are a more complete and healthy team right now (which says a lot). Look for Kelce to score his first touchdown of the season in Week 4.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Chargers 17

Zack Eisen: The Chiefs head to Los Angeles to take on a beefed-up Chargers team. They will be missing their starting tackles and two of their top three defensive players. Also, their starting quarterback is getting beat up. It promises to be a comfortable victory for the Chiefs. However, they haven’t played like that the past two seasons. Getting the offense on track would be nice for Kansas City. It starts with Patrick Mahomes, who hasn’t been himself to start the year. This game could be a chance for him to get himself and the rest of the offense back on track. Drafting Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce would help boost the unit’s confidence.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Chargers 17

Mark Van Sikkel: The Chargers are hurting with several key players missing the game or not playing at full strength. This seems like a good game for Kelce to break out. We’ve all been waiting for it! I also think this is the day we see Carson Steele get his first regular season touchdown as a Chief. The defense should be able to suffocate Herbert. The Chiefs and Chargers usually play close games, but with everything working against the Chargers this week, I have to rate the Chiefs in double digits.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Chargers 17

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