Week 1 Thursday Night Football Preview: Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs Best Bets, Props Predictions

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with Thursday Night Football with the reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Championship Game rematch.

This could be as good of a matchup as we get all year and we're getting it as the first game of the season. The NFL is definitely leading with their best foot forward this year. These teams are also the favorites to face off again in the AFC Championship Game in January so we may be getting a little preview of that here.

Nevertheless, that's a long time from now and let's worry about one thing at a time. That one thing right now is you winning money during the NFL season opener. 

Week 1 NFL Best Bets

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are the favorites in this one as they host, perhaps the biggest threat in the conference, the Baltimore Ravens. These powerhouse teams, who rank first and third in our Week 1 Power Rankings, are evenly matched and should put on a show in this one. Both teams should once again be strong contenders in 2024, but both teams have also changed significantly. 

The Chiefs finally got what seems to be legitimate weapons in the passing attack for Mahomes. They added Marquise Brown in free agency and drafted speedster Xavier Worthy in the first round. Rashee Rice also looks to have avoided suspension for this season after a tumultuous offseason. This passing attack should be significantly better on the outside and Isiah Pacheco looks poised to be a breakout star in the backfield as well. After a down year for the offense in 2023, the Chiefs should once again have one of the top offensive attacks in the league in 2024. 

On the defensive side of the ball the Chiefs did lose star corner L'Jarius Sneed and starting linebacker Willie Gay this offseason. This isn't the end of the world but it is something worth taking note of when looking at your bets for this matchup. 

Baltimore will also have some new faces on both sides of the ball. They lost a couple of linemen and let Gus Edwards walk in free agency which you may think would slow down the rushing attack. Not so fast, because they brought in arguably the best pure runner of the past decade, Derrick Henry. While he may be getting a bit older and the unstoppable force he once was, he still has plenty of gas in the tank and will be a nightmare for defenses to deal with in a backfield next to Jackson. 

The defense should still be among the best in the league for the Ravens. There have been a few moves, most notably replacing linebacker Patrick Queen with second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson. Perhaps most importantly for this defense is that their oft-injured secondary is as healthy as it's going to be all season in this one. 

We expect a close one here with both teams being formidable adversaries. The Chiefs will look to win their opener after losing it last season, and the Ravens will try to send a message to the Chiefs as well as the rest of the league that they are to be taken seriously as potential Super Bowl champs this season. These teams matchup strength on strength on both sides of the ball and it should be a fun one. 

The Picks

Spread: Baltimore Ravens +3 (-118)
Over/Under: Over 46.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Kansas City Chiefs (-155)

Player Props of the Night

Prop #1: Derrick Henry, Anytime TD Scorer (-120)

King Henry finding the end zone should be a solid bet just about every game this season. We wouldn't be shocked at all if he finishes the year with up around 20 TDs. This is a team that loves to pound it with a power back when they get close to the goal line and they now have the best in the business. Gus Edwards punched in 13 last year, and with all due respect to The Bus, he's not nearly as daunting in the red zone as The King. In an MVP campaign last year, Jackson only accounted for 29 total TDs. He doesn't steal TDs like many seem to think. Henry will be the star on the goal line. 

Prop #2: Lamar Jackson, 50+ Rushing Yards (-115)

Jackson is going to want to show out in this game and he knows he's most electric when running the ball. The team also didn't do much to improve his weapons so he has little choice but to make a ton of plays on his own when dropping back. Their pass catchers are essentially useless after Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers, and Flowers hasn't proven to be a true WR1 in the NFL. He averaged more than 50 yards per game on the ground last season and is over 60 yards per game rushing for his career. Lamar topped that mark against the Chiefs in the playoffs last year as well, while also topping that total in 9 of 18 total games on the season. It's a not a rare bar for him to clear at all. 

Prop #3: Rashee Rice, Over 5.5 Receptions (-125)

Despite all the issues Rice had this offseason, he's ready to roll in Week 1. We believe he establishes himself as Mahomes's favorite wide receiver target this year on track to a breakout campaign. His yardage could vary from week-to-week, but the targets and receptions will be consistent. There is no doubt in our minds that Rice will catch at least six passes with ease in this game. It's a mark he should surpass well before the fourth quarter.