NFL Odds Week 1: Lions vs Chiefs Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

NFL odds for Week 1 are on the board and receiving plenty of attention as the regular season gets ready to kick off. The Lions and Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Thursday, September 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Here's everything you need to know about the NFL odds for the Week 1 game between the Lions and Chiefs: the opening lines, spreads, betting trends and more.

Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs Odds

• Opening point spread: Chiefs -7
• Opening moneyline: Chiefs -275/Lions +225
• Opening total: Over/Under 54 points scored
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET Thursday, Sept. 7 (NBC)

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Two-plus hours before kickoff, Kansas City is a 4.5-point chalk in BetMGM's NFL odds Week 1 market. The Chiefs opened -7 back in May and briefly got to -7.5 in late July. K.C. then bounced between -7 and -6.5 much of the past month.

But with Tuesday's news that Travis Kelce (knee) was questionable, the line made its way down to Chiefs -4.5.

"Great action coming in. The best outcome for us is the Chiefs winning, but not covering 4.5," BetMGM's Seamus Magee said. "Great two-way action on the total at 53.5. The total ticked down to 52.5, which has seen some Over play in the last hour or so."

Magee also pointed out some popular player props.

"Amon-Ra St. Brown and Isiah Pacheco are getting a lot of action for first TD scorer," he said of the Lions wideout and Chiefs running back, respectively. "Plenty of action coming in on David Montgomery, too."

Montgomery is the Lions' starting running back.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: With the NFL season heading toward kickoff, PointsBet has the Chiefs a 4.5-point favorite. Months ago, this matchup opened K.C. -6.5, and the Chiefs were -7 a month ago. Much of the movement has come in just the past 48 hours.

That's due to the news that Travis Kelce (knee) is questionable for tonight's game. Starting Tuesday evening, the line went from Chiefs -6.5 to -6, then -5.5 and -5 on the way to -4.5.

"All the business is coming for the Detroit Lions in the past 24 hours," said Kevin Lawler, head of U.S. trading for the rebranded PointsBet, a Fanatics Experience. "Chiefs backers have been completely turned off by the Kelce news, and given the Chiefs' reliance on the league's best tight end last season, it's understandable. Since the news, weight of money has been heavy enough to move the line 2 full points, making Detroit a loser in the book and Kansas City a winner."

Kelce's uncertain status obviously also impacts popular playoff props. Lawler said prior to the injury news, in the anytime touchdown market, Kelce's ticket count was more than double that of any other player.

The total also plunged to as low as 51.5 Wednesday afternoon, from a 54.5 opener and 55 high point at PointsBet. However, that number is on the rebound, climbing back to 54 by this afternoon.

UPDATE 3 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY: The past 24 hours brought a noteworthy shift to this line. That's due largely to reports Tuesday that Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce has a hyperextended knee.

Kelce's status is questionable for the Thursday night opener, which of course is impacting the NFL Week 1 odds market. BetMGM first moved down from Chiefs -6.5 to -6 Tuesday afternoon. The latest moved from K.C. -5 to -4.5 came this morning.

Correspondingly, the moneyline is now at Chiefs -225/Lions +180, from an opener of -300/+240.

The odds movement has led to an interesting shift in betting.

"We were [seeing] heavy Chiefs action at -6.5. It's a little closer to two-way action at -4.5," BetMGM trader Christian Cipollini said this afternoon. "A Chiefs win and a Lions cover is the ideal outcome at the moment. I'd guess our customers in Michigan are taking the Lions outright, instead of on the point spread."

Kelce's uncertain status also impacted BetMGM's total, which is down to 52.5.

Interestingly, Circa Sports – which caters to a sharp clientele – got down to Chiefs -4 Tuesday afternoon, before nudging up to -4.5 this morning.

Moments ago, Circa Sports director of operations Jeff Benson tweeted: "Doesn't matter what we think. The only thing that matters is what the market thinks."

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, SEPT. 1: BetMGM Nevada opened this season-opening matchup in mid-May, with Kansas City a 7-point home chalk. The Chiefs nudged to -7.5 in late July and have spent the past few weeks bouncing between -7 and -6.5.

K.C. is currently -6.5. BetMGM's moneyline is at Chiefs -275/Lions +220.

"It's 2/1 tickets and close to 4/1 money in favor of the Chiefs," BetMGM Nevada's Scott Shelton said of action in the sportsbook's Las Vegas market. "They are playing the Lions moneyline, almost 2/1 tickets and 2/1 money. But the Chiefs are in all the parlays.

"A Chiefs win and Lions cover would be good at this point. But a Lions win wouldn't be bad."

The total opened at 54, spent time at 53.5 and 54.5, and it's now at 54 again.

"Approximately 2/1 tickets on the Over, and money almost 5/1 on the Over. There's a $10,000 bet on Over 54," Shelton said.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET MONDAY, AUG. 28: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs open defense of their Super Bowl title against the Lions, one of the hotter teams in the league during the second half of the 2022-23 season.

K.C. is coming coming off a riveting 38-35 Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. That capped a 17-3 SU season, but the Chiefs were just 7-12-1 ATS, including 5-11-1 ATS in the regular season.

Detroit went 8-2 SU/9-1 ATS in its last 10 regular-season games, nearly nabbing a Wild Card bid in the process. The Lions finished 9-8 SU and a solid 12-5 ATS.

For nearly three months, The SuperBook didn't budge off its May 11 opener of Chiefs -7. On Aug. 7, the risk room finally relented by dipping to Chiefs -6.5. While The SuperBook's spread/total opened back on May 11, the moneyline just opened today, hence no movement so far..

"We have taken some action on the underdog Lions +7," SuperBook senior risk supervisor Casey Degnon said. "More money on the Lions via straight bets, but there is more parlay liability built up on the Chiefs -7. Some parlays are also tied to the Over."

"I think the current betting trend for this game will continue. The Chiefs will be tied to a ton of parlays and teasers, but I expect the straight bets to continue to roll in on Detroit."

The total moved to 54.5 in mid-July, then this morning inched back to the 54 opener.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson