The two best teams in the AFC from a year ago will renew their rivalry when the Baltimore Ravens battle the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 5. Last season, Kansas City defeated top-seeded Baltimore, 17-10, in the AFC Championship Game en route to their second consecutive Super Bowl championship. The Chiefs (11-6), who have won three Super Bowls in the past five years, are taking aim at a ninth consecutive AFC West title as well. The Ravens (13-4), who won the AFC North by two games over the Cleveland Browns, finished 8-4 in conference play.

Kickoff from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Kansas City is a 3-point favorite in the latest Ravens vs. Chiefs odds from the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.5. Before you make any Chiefs vs. Ravens picks or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert Mike Tierney has to say.

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Tierney is 154-124-9 in the NFL the past two seasons, returning $1,586 to $100 players. In addition, he is an amazing 48-20-2 on his last 70 NFL picks in games involving the Baltimore Ravens, returning a whopping $2,582. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Tierney has zoned in on Ravens vs. Chiefs. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are the NFL odds and NFL betting lines on the spread, money line, and over-under for Ravens vs. Chiefs:

• Ravens vs. Chiefs spread: Chiefs -3
• Ravens vs. Chiefs over/under: 46.5 points
• Ravens vs. Chiefs money line: Chiefs -151, Ravens +127
• BAL: Ravens have covered the third-quarter spread in 14 of their last 19 games (+9.15 units)
• KC: Chiefs have hit the first-half game total over in their last four home games (+4.00 units)  
• Ravens vs. Chiefs picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Chiefs can cover

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, posted his second-worst career numbers as a starter last season, but had another stellar postseason to lead Kansas City to its third Super Bowl title over the past five years. He threw for 4,183 yards, completing 67.2% of his passes for 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He was even better in the games that really mattered. In four playoff games, Mahomes completed 104 of 149 passes (69.8%) for 1,051 yards and six touchdowns against one interception for a 100.3 rating.

Pacing the Kansas City rushing attack is running back Isiah Pacheco. In 14 games last season, he led the team in rushing with 205 carries for 935 yards (4.6 average) and seven touchdowns. He had six explosive plays of 20 or more yards, including a season-long 48 yards. He also caught 44 passes for 244 yards (5.5 average) and two touchdowns. In the postseason, he was a workhorse, carrying 81 times for 313 yards (3.9 average) and three TDs. See who to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Ravens can cover

Quarterback Lamar Jackson will look to build on his MVP season from a year ago. Jackson led Baltimore in both passing and rushing in 16 games played. In the passing game, he completed 307 of 457 passes (67.2%) for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. He threw just seven picks and had a rating of 102.7. In the ground attack, he carried 148 times for 821 yards (5.5 average) and five touchdowns, with four explosive plays. He converted 48 first downs.

With running back Gus Edwards now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, the Ravens are turning to former Tennessee Titans standout Derrick Henry as their every-down running back. Henry has rushed for more than 9,500 yards in his nine-year career, including 1,167 yards on 280 carries (4.2 average) in 17 games last year for Tennessee. He rushed for 12 touchdowns. In 119 career games, Henry has 90 touchdowns and has converted 467 first downs. See who to back at SportsLine. 

How to make Ravens vs. Chiefs picks

For the NFL Kickoff Game 2024, Tierney is leaning Over the total. He also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. Head to SportsLine to see what it is.

Who wins Chiefs vs. Ravens, and which critical x-factor makes one side hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Chiefs vs. Ravens spread you need to jump on, all from the expert who returned more than $2,500 to $100 players in the last 70 picks involving the Ravens, and find out.