Chargers-Chiefs Thursday Night Football Week 2 Player Props to Target
One of the best ways to enjoy Thursday Night football is to simply ignore the game spread and focus on player proposition wagering.
In Week 2, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs face Justin Herbert and the Chargers in a prime-time showdown with sole possession of the AFC West at stake. Both teams enter this game following victories against 2021 playoff squads.
Chargers-Chiefs Betting Preview
With arguably the top two quarterbacks dueling on the national stage, there is a plethora of intriguing markets for bettors to choose from. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the best markets that represent solid investment opportunities!
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Chargers Player Prop Info
Herbert threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 1 win over the Raiders. The talented gunslinger is 2-2 against the Chiefs, throwing for 1,130 and 10 touchdowns. Herbert’s passing yards prop is set at 284.5, a projection he has exceeded in five of his last nine games dating back to last season. After throwing for 300-plus yards in both of his rookie-season matchups against Kansas City, the third-year signal-caller threw for less than 281 yards in both 2021 games.
In those four career matchups, Herbert found success on the ground by rushing for three of his eight career touchdowns. His ‘Anytime Touchdown’ odds of +440 is awfully tempting. The rushing proposition market involving Herbert that bettors should look to target involves his rushing projection of 13.5 yards. Herbert has surpassed this number in three of the four games (18,18,16,9) in the rivalry.
Austin Ekeler, who had a disappointing Week 1 for fantasy managers, will look to get on track against the Chiefs. The versatile back has struggled on the ground in his nine career games against the Chiefs, averaging just 38.6 rushing yards while adding just one rushing touchdown. Through the air, Ekeler has averaged 4.9 receptions, 45.9 receiving yards while totaling three scores.
SI Sportsbook has set his rushing yards at 54.5 yards, a projection he has surpassed in five of his last six games overall and three of the last four against the Chiefs. Ekeler’s receiving yards market is set at 37.5 yards and his receptions markets is listed at 4.5. The sixth-year veteran has surpassed his reception projection of 4.5 in three consecutive road games (6,6,9) at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chargers will be without No. 1 wideout Keenan Allen (hamstring) against Kansas City and will need Mike Williams, Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter to step up. Williams had a quiet day in Week 1, hauling in two of his four targets for 10 yards, while Palmer brought in three of his four targets for five yards.
Williams, who has six total touchdowns in nine career games (67%) against the Chiefs, should have a much bigger role with Allen out. The sixth-year wideout, who posted nine touchdowns in 16 games (56%) last season, offers solid value in his ‘Anytime Touchdown’ market at odds of +140 as the de facto WR1 on Thursday.
PROP BETS:
Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers: Over 4.5 Receptions
Mike Williams, WR, Chargers: Anytime Touchdown +140
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers: Over 13.5 Rushing Yards
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Chiefs Player Prop Info
On the other sideline, Mahomes leads an explosive offensive attack that put up a league-high 44 points in Week 1. Mahomes will face a Chargers defense that sacked Raiders quarterback Derek Carr six times, while intercepting him three times. Mahomes’ passing yards is at 301.5 for Thursday night, a projection he has exceeded in just two of his seven career games (29%) against Los Angeles.
One area bettors could potentially exploit is his total touchdown market as Mahomes has thrown for multiple touchdowns in five of the seven career meetings against the Chargers and he tossed three in both matchups last season. However, Mahomes’ rushing proposition market of 18.5 yards is exploitable after a deeper dive reveals he has surpassed this projection in five straight games against Los Angeles, including six of seven overall (32,45,54,21,59,3,21).
Mahomes leaned heavily on tight end Travis Kelce, wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Clyde Edwards-Herlaire in the Week 1 win against the Cardinals with the trio combining for 17 receptions, 244 yards and three touchdowns. The biggest shock of the opening week production was CEH’s output in the passing game. The third-year running back, who posted three receiving touchdowns in his first 23 games, found the end zone twice via the air.
Kelce, in his last five games against the Chargers, has 36 receptions (7.2 per game), 501 yards (100.2 yds per game) and four touchdowns. Bettors find value on Kelce’s projection of 79.5 receiving yards. Kelce has 95-plus receiving yards in four straight games (including playoffs) and with Tyreek Hill no longer on the roster, the NFL’s best tight end is a lock to lead the club in targets for the second straight week.
SI Sportsbook has Smith-Schuster listed with a projection of 57.5 receiving yards. The veteran wideout, who is arguably the club’s new WR1, has drawn the attention of respected money in Vegas. His opening yards of 54.5 has already steamed up three yards and will likely surpass 60 total yards by kickoff.
PROP BETS:
Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: Over 79.5 receiving yards
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs: Over 57.5 receiving yards
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: Over 18.5 rushing yards
2022 SI Betting NFL: 0-1 ATS & Props 1-1 -1.25 Units
2021 SI Betting Monday Night Football: 9-8 ATS & Props 16-12 +5.75 Units
2021 SI Betting Playoffs: 8-7-1 ATS & Prop Wagers +4.00 Units
2021 SI Betting NFL: 53-44-1 ATS & Props +14.22 Units
2020 SI Betting NFL: 72-58-1 ATS (55%)
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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