The Kansas City Chiefs opened as 2.5 point underdogs against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday at the Coliseum. That was slightly surprising considering the Chiefs are 5-2 but the Raiders are starting to come alive with 73 points scored over the last two weeks.
We suggested that with the Raiders rise in recent weeks, and the Chiefs first place standing in the division, this was the biggest game in eight years for the Raiders. They're also trying to do something they haven't done in eight years -- beat the Chiefs in their own place.
Indeed the Raiders have not beaten the Chiefs in Oakland since 2002. Six of those seven Chiefs victories came by a touchdown or less which should tell you all you need to know about this rivalry.
What I find interesting is that this streak spans multiple regimes and quarterbacks for the Chiefs. The Trent Green/Dick Vermeil era dominated the Raiders at home as did the Herm Edwards/Damon Huard/Brodie Croyle/Tyler Thigpen era which in 2008 won only one other game outside of the road win at Oakland, and then there's the Todd Haley/Matt Cassel era who kicked things off right with a victory in Oakland last year.
Playing in the Black Hole is difficult but the Chiefs have mastered the art of it in recent years. It doesn't hurt that the Raiders have been, well, pretty terrible during that time span.
If we're going to believe history, this will be a close game -- but a Chiefs victory.
2009: 16-10 W
2008: 20-13 W
2007: 12-10 W
2006: 20-9 W
2005: 23-17 W
2004: 34-27 W
2003: 17-10 W
2002: 24-0 L