Arrowheadlines: The Bucs are now favoured to beat the Chiefs

The latest

NFL Week 4 betting: Bucs now favored over Chiefs despite KC getting majority of bets | Yahoo Sports

The Bucs had been slight underdogs to the Chiefs all week. But with Thursday’s news that the game will be played as scheduled in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Ian made landfall to the south of the metro area, the Bucs are now 1-point favorites over the Chiefs. Tampa had become a 1.5-point underdog to the Chiefs on Thursday, but the line made the switch on the same day the game’s location was finalized.

The line likely didn’t flip because of the money on the Bucs. The Chiefs are still getting the majority of money and bets at BetMGM. Kansas City is getting 73% of bets and 57% of the handle. The total has dropped a point to 45.5 and two-thirds of the bets and money is on the under.

The Chiefs do not have the biggest share of bets against the spread. That honor goes to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are getting 85% of bets and 72% of the money as 2.5-point favorites against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints said Friday that WR Michael Thomas would be out on Sunday morning in London and backup QB Andy Dalton could play in place of Jameis Winston as Winston deals with a back injury.

NFL Week 4 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, stats, fantasy tips | ESPN

What to watch for: The Bucs will have wide receivers Mike Evans (suspension) and Julio Jones (knee) back this week, with wide receiver Chris Godwin (hamstring) and left tackle Donovan Smith (elbow) also possibilities. Having scored only three offensive touchdowns in three games so far this year, they need all hands on deck to keep pace with a Chiefs team averaging 29.3 points per game. On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs’ rebuilt offensive line is eager to show this wasn’t the same group from Super Bowl LV — their two sacks given up are tied for fewest in the league right now. — Jenna Laine

Bold prediction: The sixth meeting between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will be the lowest scoring yet. The Chiefs and Bucs are struggling to score, with the Chiefs’ offense producing just 37 points in the past two games and the Bucs averaging just 17 points per game through the first three. These teams don’t look like they will combine for 39 points, the lowest output so far for a Brady-Mahomes game. It certainly won’t approach the 83 points the two generated in a 2018 game between the Chiefs and Patriots. — Adam Teicher

NFL Week 4 picks against the spread: Saints, Falcons and Panthers all score upsets | CBS Sports

Chiefs at Buccaneers

The Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl Revenge Game! The Chiefs are favored here but it could simply be a result of expectation for the game being moved to a neutral site. That’s not the case, with Tampa clear of Hurricane Ian much sooner than expected. Mike Evans is back, Tom Brady is in primetime at home and the Bucs defense should still be able to give Mahomes some fits.

The Pick: Buccaneers 28, Chiefs 27

Bets: Buccaneers

Week 4 NFL game picks: Bills bounce back in Baltimore; Eagles edge out Jaguars to remain perfect | NFL.com

Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers’ defense looks like the best in football. That’s not a good sign for a Chiefs offense that has an erratic running game and is throwing it deep less than ever. As Hurricane Ian hits Florida, it’s unclear where this game will be played. It’s also unclear who will play for the Bucs. With Tampa’s offense still piecing it together, the early-week pick is Kansas City.

Buccaneers vs. Chiefs: Predictions and staff picks for Week 4 | Bucs Nation (Tampa Bay Buccaneers SB Nation site)

James Yarcho: Defense Lives Rent Free In Mahomes’ Mind

The last time these two teams met it was a nightmare for Patrick Mahomes - and those wounds are still fresh enough to cause problems this time around. Unlike Gil, I don’t see this as a game where Mahomes goes off and shreds a very stout Bucs defense. Instead, the Bucs will sack Mahomes four times and get two takeaways for the third week in a row.

The Chiefs’ Need for Sneed Should Lead to a Contract Extension | Arrowhead Report

Sneed is the first true success story for Brett Veach in the NFL draft. All draft picks before him, which includes the entire 2018 and 2019 classes, had too many question marks surrounding them for the Chiefs to consider extending them at the team’s earliest opportunity (after the player’s third year). The only Veach draft pick that has gotten new money from the Chiefs has been Derrick Nnadi, who returned on a small, one-year contract this offseason. With him starting the 2022 campaign incredibly strong, Sneed is playing himself into a new extension as we speak.

When looking at what kind of contract Sneed would command, it’s important to recognize that slot defenders are still valued less than outside cornerbacks. True shutdown, outside corners are now earning up to $20 million a year (Jalen Ramsey and Jaire Alexander). The highest-paid, strictly slot cornerback in the league right now is Darious Williams, who is being paid $10M a year over three years by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Williams, who signed last offseason, is a recent example of what a very good slot corner is getting.

Chiefs and Hunt Family Foundation to Support Disaster Relief Efforts in Florida | The Mothership

As we prepare to travel to Tampa Bay for Sunday night’s game against the Buccaneers, our thoughts are with the thousands affected by the devastation of Hurricane Ian. The images and stories in the aftermath of the storm have been heartbreaking, and we know the road to recovery will be a long one.

To aid in those efforts, the Chiefs and the Hunt Family Foundation will make a contribution to the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Relief team which is already on the ground providing food, water, shelter and other necessities to those directly impacted. Chiefs Kingdom can join us in supporting the relief efforts by donating at https://salarmy.us/ChiefsKingdom.

Around the NFL

Tua Tagovailoa undergoing tests in Miami; no timetable for Dolphins QB’s return to field | NFL.com

On Friday, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa was in the process of wrapping up an MRI, which he described as an extra precaution, and that he had no timetable for his starting QB’s return to the field.

“Honestly, to be completely forthright, I’m not even really thinking about timetables or anything regarding him as a player right now. It’s all about, really, Tua the person,” McDaniel said. “What gets lost in all this is that there’s human relationships, you know, these aren’t just create-a-players, these are people that we mutually invest in and somebody I’ve grown very very close to. When it comes to head injuries and concussions, with things that severe, the only thing I’m worried about is the person first. Just worried about him getting healthy, getting all the testing done that he needs to get done and us working with him so that we can feel good about where that injury is at, and then we will cross the bridge in terms of timetables of however long. Really haven’t even thought about that at this point.”

Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen out again with hamstring injury | ESPN

Earlier in the week, coach Brandon Staley expressed growing confidence that Allen might be able to return against the Texans.

However, on Friday, Staley said that Allen “kind of felt something” during individual drills at practice.

“We’re going to hold him out of this game, just going to make sure that he keeps making progress,” Staley said of the 10th-year pro. “Just don’t want to push it where you have a significant setback of a major injury, so he couldn’t make it this week and next week we’ll give it another shot.”

Staley added that Allen did not suffer a major setback. “Just didn’t make enough progress to make it to the game,” he said.

Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill says he was ‘disrespected as a man’ by Bengals coach: ‘I’m gonna come find you, bro’ | CBS Sports

Following the game, Hill told reporters that a Bengals coach said something to him Thursday night that he took exception to.

“Whichever coach that is, I’m gonna come find you bro ... me and you gotta have a mano a mano conversation,” Hill said, via ESPN. “Cause at the end of the day I felt disrespected as a man.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Frank Clark won’t say what Chris Jones said to Matt Ryan in Indianapolis

After the game, Jones said he didn’t remember exactly what he said to Ryan. The next day, head coach Andy Reid said he didn’t know, either — but that team officials were hoping they’d be able to learn more from the referee’s report on the game — although that report wasn’t going to be sent to the teams involved, but rather to the league office.

Quoting league sources, a Pro Football Talk story published on Tuesday said that referee Shawn Smith’s official report only referred to “disturbing language” that had “no place in professional football.”

So when defensive end Frank Clark stepped to the podium at the Chiefs’ practice facility on Friday afternoon, reporters decided this might be their last chance to learn the truth — from one of Jones’ best friends on the team.

At first, Clark denied knowing anything. He said that when the play was over, he was looking at Ryan. But then he turned away, ran off — and then turned back around to see the flag on the ground. He noted that he could one day be targeted with such a penalty.

“I say a lot of crazy stuff out there,” said Clark. “The refs? They warn me a lot. They haven’t thrown a flag yet. So I pray to God that it doesn’t happen to me.”

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