Chiefs at Eagles NFL Betting Preview
On Thursday (September 19) the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Kansas City Chiefs at Lincoln Financial Field in what should be a humdinger of a Week 3 NFL showdown, considering that both of these teams has plenty to prove after racking up such crappy seasons last year.
Consider how the Chiefs ended the 2012-13 NFL Regular season with a shocking 2-14 record to snatch last place in the AFC West division, while the Eagles also finished last in their division (NFC East), although with a marginally better record of 4-12.
So, as expected, both teams experienced many shake-ups and underwent many changes during the off season, with the hope of improving their chances of not finishing at bottom of the barrel again this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
For instance, newly installed head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs is Andy Reid, who previously led the Eagles for 14 seasons, but was fired by the team owners last season for delivering a paltry four wins versus 12 losses.
But that factoid obviously did not deter the Chiefs from snapping up Reid, in a bid to help them this season avoid the doldrums in which they found themselves last season. Come Thursday night, it will no doubt be weird for Reid and many of the Eagles players to be on the opposite sides of the field, but that's football.
Reid has some "new blood" to work with in the form of offensive tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and talented former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Plus, he has the skills of existing players such as tight end Tony Moeaki, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, running back Jamaal Charles and others.
It will not be lost on NFL betting fans that the Chiefs won their first two games of the season, and will obviously be looking to extend that to three on Thursday.
Philadelphia Eagles
After kicking head coach Andy Reid to the curb for a disastrous 2012-13 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles promptly hired Chip Kelly as his replacement. Interestingly, this appointment is Kelly's first in the big leagues, as he up until now he has only ever coached college football.
But as inexperienced as Kelly may be in the NFL, he seems to be making up for in enthusiasm and hard work to put together an Eagles team that can reach the playoffs. With players like uber talented quarterback Michael Vick to full effect (who is behind only Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers statistically), as well as tight ends Brent Celek and Zach Ertz, Kelly and co are touted for great things this season.
Of course, there is still a very long way to go and Kelly will have a sharp learning curve when it comes to picking up on the rules and nuances of NFL football as opposed to college football, as well as higher stakes to boot. He will be particularly eager to win Thursday's game as a symbolic gesture of officially ending the reign of former coach Reid.
Chiefs vs Eagles Betting
Most online sportsbooks including Canadian-friendly Bodog have posted the Philadelphia Eagles as the betting favorites ahead of Thursday's matchup, even though they are 1-1 as opposed to the Chiefs on 2-0 so far this season. Oddsmakers obviously expect Chip Kelly's men to overcome Andy Reid's men. For my NFL betting buck, I predict the opposite.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles Odds
| Team | Point Spread |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +3.5 (1.87) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -3.5 (1.95) |
