One of the standout games on the Week 7 slate takes place at Lumen Field as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football.
The Chiefs appear to have rediscovered their championship formula after a disappointing 1-8 finish to last season saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Andy Reid's side head to Seattle with a flawless 5-0 record and bags of momentum following a convincing 22-6 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last week.
Kansas City have impressed on both sides of the ball through five weeks, boasting one of the NFL's most efficient offenses while continuing to play disciplined, opportunistic defense.
Seattle, meanwhile, enter the contest with a 3-3 record and growing concerns after back-to-back defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
The Seahawks were beaten 17-14 by Denver last time out, with quarterback Sam Darnold picked off twice in another inconsistent display.
In contrast, Patrick Mahomes has been operating at an elite level once again, passing for 1,309 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions.
Kansas City's offense has also become significantly more balanced following the arrival of former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, who leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards through five games.
His return to Seattle adds an intriguing subplot to what promises to be one of the most entertaining matchups of the weekend.
Chiefs vs. Seahawks Betting Picks & Predictions
Chiefs ML (+130)
Backing the visitors to win makes sense on so many levels with the Chiefs arriving unbeaten and Seattle on a two-game losing skid.
Kansas City ranks first in both offensive success rate and yards per play, while their rushing attack is averaging an NFL-best 5.51 yards per carry.
Mahomes remains a huge point of difference over Darnold, who has thrown seven touchdowns and seven interceptions this season and now faces a Steve Spagnuolo defense renowned for creating confusion and forcing mistakes.
But the emergence of Walker as the focal point of the ground game has made this Chiefs offense considerably harder to defend.
Seattle's defense has generally held up well and deserves credit for limiting explosive plays, but the red-zone numbers are alarming.
The Seahawks have allowed touchdowns on 78.6% of opponent trips inside the 20-yard line, a dangerous weakness against a quarterback as clinical as Mahomes.
The atmosphere at Lumen Field is always difficult for visiting teams, but Kansas City's improved balance and superior quarterback play should enable them to keep their unbeaten record intact.
Kenneth Walker III Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-120)
Walker has enjoyed a sensational start to life in Kansas City, rushing for a league-leading tally of yards while scoring six rushing touchdowns and adding two more receiving scores.
Motivation should not be lacking as he returns to face the franchise that allowed him to walk in free agency.
Moreover, he is Kansas City's preferred option near the goal line.
His combination of vision, acceleration and power has transformed the Chiefs running game and helped create a more balanced offensive identity.
Seattle's defensive front is capable of making life difficult between the tackles, but Walker only needs one opportunity to break a big play.
Given his workload and red-zone role, he stands out as one of the strongest anytime touchdown selections available this weekend.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Over 7.5 Receptions (+115)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains the clear focal point of Seattle's passing attack and should see heavy involvement once again on Sunday night.
In six games, Darnold’s primary target has tallied 49 receptions for 717 yards with seven touchdowns. He averages over eight receptions per game and still managed to snag five catches for 76 yards in his quietest outing of the campaign so far.
Sunday’s game script could also work heavily in his favour if Kansas City establishes an early lead.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NFL on site.
Chiefs vs. Seahawks odds
KC Chiefs | +130 |
SEA Seahawks | -155 |
Spread | SEA Seahawks -2.5 |
Total | O/U 42.5 |
Chiefs vs. Seahawks player props
Anytime touchdown
Kenneth Walker III (KC Chiefs) | -120 |
Emanuel Wilson (SEA Seahawks) | +115 |
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA Seahawks) | +125 |
Travis Kelce (KC Chiefs) | +220 |
Xavier Worthy (KC Chiefs) | +220 |
AJ Barner (SEA Seahawks) | +260 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
