Arrowhead Pride
Before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 17 matchup with the Denver Broncos, all but one of our Arrowhead Pride panelists correctly picked the Broncos to win. Our aggregate prediction was for Denver to collect a 23-15 victory, which had just six points of error* compared to the 20-13 final.
In Week 18, the Chiefs are on the road to finish their season against the Las Vegas Raiders. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Kansas City is favored by 4.5 points.
Let’s see what the staff — and our readers — think about the matchup.
I think it would have been reasonable before this season to say this game would have little at stake in Week 18, but I am not sure either team expected this. The Chiefs were obviously projected to be contenders, but even the Raiders were expecting to be competitive.
Now, however, the Raiders could land the draft’s first overall pick and will likely have a new coach next year. The Chiefs had a disastrous season that kept them out of the playoffs.
I know the Chiefs have lost the last five games, but the current Raiders are a different level of bad — even when compared to the Tennessee Titans. Maxx Crosby was their only good defender, and he’s not playing. Kenny Pickett is playing quarterback without Brock Bowers.
I think Chris Oladokun will have no problem dicing up the Raiders’ current defense, and the Chiefs’ defense has remained competitive after Patrick Mahomes’s injury. I would be shocked if the Raiders won this game.
Chiefs 24, Raiders 10
Neither of these teams has had a good season. Both will be without significant contributors and will have an incentive to lose the season’s final game to improve their draft position, so this is not exactly a formula for a great matchup. While both squads are led by experienced old-school coaches who are capable of getting their players up for such a contest, only one of them — the Chiefs’ Andy Reid — appears likely to be back in 2026. So on that basis, I would give Kansas City the edge in this game.
Chiefs 20, Raiders 13
This matchup between the Chiefs and Raiders arrives with little at stake on either side. Las Vegas, while unlikely to state it publicly, benefits more from draft positioning than a late-season win. Individual effort should still be present, but there is little incentive for the organization to push aggressively for a result. Kansas City, meanwhile, should approach the game with the intent to win while also using the opportunity to evaluate younger players and depth pieces ahead of the offseason.
How the Chiefs deploy Travis Kelce may be one of the more revealing elements of the afternoon. His usage could offer insight into how the organization views this moment — whether it is simply another game or potentially a closing chapter. Beyond that, the focus should be on...
