Lions vs. Chiefs Parlay Picks: Can Kansas City Get By Without Travis Kelce?
The Detroit Lions have been one of the most hyped NFL teams in the offseason, and the Kansas City Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl Champions, so this should be a solid matchup, but Kansas City may be without their all-world Tight End, Travis Kelce. Can the Chiefs get by if he doesn't play? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - September 7, 2023, 3:16 PM EDT
7 minLions vs. Chiefs Parlay Picks: Can Kansas City Get By Without Travis Kelce?
The Kansas City Chiefs are once again led by the best quarterback in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes, and possibly the best offensive mind/play caller in the NFL, Head Coach Andy Reid. The Mahomes/Reid combination has led to three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins as the Chiefs have made the AFC Championship game in all five years that Mahomes has been the starting quarterback.
Lions vs. Chiefs Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 7, 2023
- Time: 8:20 pm ET
- Where to Watch: NBC
Expectations are once again high for Mahomes, Reid, and the Chiefs, and it is hard to mention the Chiefs' success without mentioning Travis Kelce. Kelce is, without a doubt, the best and most prolific pass-catching tight end in the NFL and is likely destined for Canton, as the stats he has put up with Mahomes are just unreal. He is not the same type of blocker that Gronk was and may not break as many tackles, but his elusiveness and route running ability at the position are rivaled by none other.
Kelce seems to almost have this sixth sense ability with Mahomes when the play breaks down, as Mahomes always seems to find him streaking across the field. The issue for tonight's game is that Kelce may not play as he experienced a lower-body injury in one of the last few practices of the pre-season and is questionable and likely a game-time decision.
The Chiefs activated Tight End Matt Bushman and elevated him to the active roster, and while there is no official word on Kelce's status yet, this type of roster move indicates that he will be inactive and will not play. The NFL season can be grueling, and very rarely do skill players like Kelce make it through a full season without some injuries, so it would make sense that Kelce would sit out game one as opposed to a more important game down the line, such as a playoff game.
So now, let's get down to the game. The Detroit Lions, on the other side, added Jahmyr Gibbs to their backfield through the Draft and also added David Montgomery through Free Agency, so the Lions will certainly have a different look to their running game this season.
The emergence of Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown last season and the connection they developed also showed a lot of promise for a big-time step in the right direction for their passing game, which has been lacking in years past due to a lack of talent at the QB and WR positions. And the last time we saw Goff and Mahomes face-off was a few years ago in a 50-point shootout that saw both quarterbacks throw for 400+ yards in a barn burner of a game.
The spread on this game is tricky, though, because it has ticked down from Chiefs -7.5 all the way down to -4.5, and the Chiefs were not the best team at covering bigger numbers over the past few years, but I have come up with a same game parlay from FanDuel, for this game that I absolutely love.
Lions vs. Chiefs Parlay Picks
Leg 1: Chiefs Moneyline
While the Lions are much improved on the offensive side of the ball, their defense is still a huge problem. They are a below-average defensive group, and I do not think they will be able to bother Mahomes enough to throw off this high-powered Kansas City offense. I do not see them causing turnovers or getting a good pass rush on Mahomes, and I simply do not see this Lions team going into Arrowhead and notching a win to start the season, but it could be close.
Leg 2: Jared Goff 200+ passing yards.
I believe this is correlated with the first leg of Chiefs ML. I expect the Lions to be trailing for a good amount of this game, and with question marks in the backfield for this Lions offense, I expect them to rely heavily on Goff to gain yards and move the sticks through the air. The connection between Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown is legit, and I think Goff should be able to rack up 200 passing yards in this game.
Leg 3: Patrick Mahomes 225+ Passing Yards
This leg speaks for itself, pretty much. Mahomes is the best quarterback on the planet and the most valuable player in the NFL. He is the straw that stirs the drink for this Chiefs offense, and even without Kelce, I expect Mahomes to feast on this below-average Lions defense. Last year proved that Mahomes does not need big names in the WR room to put up big numbers, and he should be able to put up at least 225 yards tonight. It is a bonus that Mahomes has a history of showing out in season openers.
Lions vs. Chiefs Parlay Picks
Lions vs. Chiefs Same Game Parlay -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
- Leg 1: Chiefs ML
- Leg 2: Jared Goff 200+ Passing Yards
- Leg 3: Patrick Mahomes 225+ Passing yards
NFL Odds
