Let the Games Begin

The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans will face each other to open up another NFL season on Thursday 9/10. The opening kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is slated for 8:20 PM ET. According to current NFL odds at Bookmaker, the Kansas City Chiefs are a 10.0-point home favorite. Additionally, BetOnline has a posted total of 54.5 on this contest.

Recent Meetings

The Texans and Chiefs met twice last season. Houston won the regular season meeting at Kansas City 31-24 and did so as a 3.5-point underdog. The Chiefs were able to avenge that defeat with a 51-31 blowout win over Houston in the AFC Divisional Round and covered as a 10.0-point home favorite. 

Furthermore, since 2017, these teams met three times with each game going over the total. The average total in those contests was 49.8 and there were a combined 71.0 points scored per game.

Chiefs in Home Openers

Kansas City has witnessed their last five home openers all go over the total. There were a cumulative 57.6 points scored per contest and the average total was 47.8. They have also won 4 straight home openers while covering each of the last 3. 

It is also worth noting, the Chiefs were 6-0 SU&ATS during their final six home games last season and won by an average of 12.8 points per contest.

Texans Betting Notes

Houston is 0-3 SU&ATS in their previous three season openers and lost by an average of 10.3 points per game. Since 12/3/2017, Houston is 1-7 ATS as an underdog of +4.0 to +10.0 and lost all 8 games straight up by a decisive 17.0 points per contest.


Thursday Night Season Openers Betting History

The NFL began opening their season on a Thursday night in 2002 and has since carried on that TNF tradition. A lone exception occurred in 2012 when the NFL opted to open on a Wednesday night. That was due to a nationally televised Presidential Debate between Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney scheduled for the next day. 

NFL teams playing their season openers at home on Thursdays have gone 14-3 straight up and 10-3-4 against-the-spread. If those home teams were the defending Super Bowl champions, they improved to 12-1 SU and 8-1-4 ATS. 

As it stands right now, present defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City would be the biggest ever favorite in the history of these Thursday night season openers. The previous high came in 2017 when New England closed as an 8.0-point favorite. Ironically enough, the defending world champion Patriots were upset by Kansas City 42-27. As a result, it marked the lone defeat in NFL betting history for a defending champion opening their season on Thursdays.

Ross Benjamin is a top sports analyst and one of the sports industry's most respected handicappers. Follow him on Twitter: @RossBenjamin1 or visit his website at RBWins.com