Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season is here and most of the league is battling to secure a playoff spot. This week’s Thursday Night Football matchup involves a pair of teams battling for the AFC West crown as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to take on the rival Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams are capable of some impressive offensive performances, so only time will tell what sort of collision we’ll be in for tonight.
Read on for statistics, betting odds (BetOnline) and analysis as to what you can expect in tonight’s Chiefs vs Chargers Thursday Night Football matchup.
Chiefs vs Chargers General Information and Statistics
Tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California — where the Chargers are currently 4-3. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. EST and the game can be viewed on FOX and the NFL Network, as well as multiple streaming platforms.
The Chiefs are averaging 27.0 points per game this season, which is tied for the eighth-best average so far this season. Meanwhile, the Chargers also average 27.0 PPG. Defensively, Kansas City is surrendering 20.6 PPG (6th) while Los Angeles has been giving up an average of 25.8 PPG (26th).
Thursday Night Football: Chiefs vs Chargers Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, December 16
- Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) vs Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
- Moneyline: Chiefs (-167) vs Chargers (+147)
- Spread: Chiefs -3.0 (-117) vs Chargers +3.0 (-103)
- Total: 62.0 — Over (-113), Under (-107)
- Head-to-Head: Chiefs are 7-3 against the Chargers in their last 10 games.
The complete odds list and prop bets are available at BetOnline.ag.
Chiefs Riding Hot Streak
Few teams have been as hot as the Chiefs as of late, especially after winning their last six games in a row. Hence why they’re the slight favorites ahead of Thursday Night Football. Nevertheless, the most impressive part of their win streak is that it’s mostly come thanks to some world-class defense.
At the start of the year, experts were saying that the Chiefs were on pace to have one of the worst defensive units in NFL history. Fast forward to Kansas City’s last six games and the team has kept opponents to 17 or fewer points in each of those contests — including four times under 10. Needless to say, the Chiefs have what looks to be the best defense in the NFL today.
Keeping that in mind, the Chiefs will be without cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (personal), while defensive lineman Chris Jones and linebacker Willie Gay are on the COVID-19 reserve. Kansas City’s defense will surely miss those players, however, they’re a good enough unit to overcome adversity. As long as players step up and the team doesn’t make a drastic change, things should be fine in the end.
Thursday Night Football: Chargers Looking to Sweep Chiefs
The Week 15 Thursday Night Football matchup is a massive one for the Chargers because a win would put them first in the AFC West. Not only that but Los Angeles defeated Kansas City, 30-24, in Week 3, so another win would give them a sweep over the defending AFC Champions and could ultimately decide the division.
While the Chargers may not be on a streak like Kansas City, they have won three of their last four games. Still, they have to be prepared because the Chiefs are feeling themselves after putting up 48 points on the Las Vegas Raiders last week. Considering how Los Angeles has one of the worst defenses in the league — especially at home (26.9 PPG, T-25th), it could be a difficult night.
One of the ways that the Chargers were successful in Week 13 was that they made life hard for Patrick Mahomes. They pressured him all game long, which resulted in a pair of interceptions and two sacks. In addition to that, they also finished with 13 quarterback hits on Mahomes, which further proves how that could be the key to success again tonight.
When it comes to injuries, running back Austin Ekeler (knee), strong safe Derwin James (hamstring) and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (concussion) are all questionable for Thursday Night Football. The trio did practice for a week (mostly limited), which does provide some optimism. Only time will tell if they’re ready to go at game time.
