Washington Redskins (2-1; 2-1 ATS; 1-2 O/U) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0; 3-0 ATS; 2-1 O/U)
NFL: Monday, October 2, 2017 at 8:30pm EST
Line: Kansas City -7
Total: 49.5
The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs will clash with the Washington Redskins Monday night from Arrowhead Stadium. The Redskins are coming off a 27-10 home win over the Raiders, and the Chiefs rolled to a 24-10 road win over the Chargers last week. This will mark the first meeting between these teams since the 2013 season with the Chiefs coming away with a 45-10 win.
Cousins Shines in Big Win Over Raiders
The Washington Redskins dazzled on both offense and defense in their dominating 27-10 home win over the Raiders last Sunday night. Kirk Cousins was tremendous, connecting on 25 of his 30 passes for 365 yards with three TD’s and no interceptions. The 29-year old quarterback wasn’t at his best in his first two games and has now collected 784 passing yards with a 5:1 TD to INT ratio. Chris Thompson was a beast in the win, bringing in six catches for 150 yards and one touchdown. The fourth-year receiver has now tallied a team-leading 231 receiving yards after recording 356 yards in all of last season. The Redskins also found success on the ground, rushing for 107 yards as a team with rookie Samaje Perine rushing for 49 yards on 19 carries. The Redskins offense has excelled in two straight weeks and they have now won two straight after dropping their opener to the Eagles.
The Redskins defense was spectacular in the win against Oakland, allowing only 128 total yards and held the potent Derek Carr to only 118 passing yards. Preston Smith made one of four sacks on the night and has now made three sacks on the season after making 4.5 last season. The Redskins defense has been excellent in two straight games after a shaky opener.
Smith, Hunt Carry Chiefs to 3-0 Start
The Kansas City Chiefs played outstanding defense in their convincing 24-10 road win over the Chargers to improve to 3-0 on the season. Alex Smith was solid, completing 16 of 21 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The 33-year old quarterback is off to a terrific start, accumulating 774 passing yards with a dazzling 7:0 TD to INT ratio through three games. Kareem Hunt was tremendous once again, racking up 172 rushing yards on 17 carries which included a 69 yard TD run. The rookie running back is off to a phenomenal start to his NFL career, already rushing for an NFL-leading 401 yards with four touchdowns, and is averaging 8.5 yards per carry. Tyreek Hill had another big game in the air, making five catches for 77 yards and one touchdown. The 23-year old wide receiver now leads the Chiefs with 253 receiving yards. The Chiefs offense is looking very dangerous through three games with their young talent in Hunt and Hill leading the way in front of a poised Alex Smith.
The Kansas City defense was clutch in the win over the Chargers, holding Rivers to 237 passing yards and made three big interceptions. Terrance Mitchell made two of the three interceptions and deflected four passes. The Chiefs defense was a strength last season and their week three performance was their best of this season.
Trends:
The Washington Redskins are:
- 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games.
- 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning record.
- 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games against a team with a winning home record.
- 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after recording more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
The Kansas City Chiefs are:
- 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games.
I am taking the points with the Redskins in this matchup. The Redskins just silenced the Raiders powerhouse offense so I am confident they can hang around in this contest. Washington has received great production from their running game, averaging 136 rushing yard per game, so I am confident they can move the ball on the ground, and the Chiefs rush defense has been mediocre. Furthermore, the Redskins rush defense ranks second in the NFL, allowing an average of only 62 rushing yards per game, so they should at least slow down Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs pass defense has not been particularly sharp either, and Cousins was really sharp in the win over Oakland.
Pick: Washington Redskins +7
The Chiefs have had no problem scoring points this season and the Redskins offense has scored 27 points in back-to-back games. The Chiefs offense has been a force led by rookie Kareem Hunt, and they should move the ball well on their home field, plus the over is 4-1 in their last five games overall. The Redskins running game has been very productive and Cousins is always dangerous, plus the over is 6-0 in their last six road games.