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NFL Week 3 odds: Who are bettors taking in Chiefs-Ravens Monday night showdown?

The most important matchup of the NFL season is also going to be a big one for gamblers.

The Kansas City Chiefs play the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup of the two best teams in football on Monday night. The Ravens are the Super Bowl favorite at BetMGM with odds of +450, the Chiefs are right behind at +550 and no other team is lower than +900.

The NBA and NHL are determining their champions over the next couple weeks, so why not a gambler’s Super Bowl in September?

“Chiefs-Ravens has a Super Bowl feel to the end of Week 3 in the NFL,” BetMGM sportsbook manager Matt Cosgriff said. “Viewership is expected to be up for this featured event and so will BetMGM’s handle as this will be the most wagered game of the week.”

Even though the two teams are considered to be fairly even, the Chiefs have been 3.5-point favorites since last week. Not surprisingly, gamblers are trusting the defending champs getting more than a field goal.

Chiefs getting most of the bets

The Chiefs are the popular play for Monday night. MGM said 73.2% of tickets and 67.1% of handle are on the underdogs.

This is a rare opportunity. The Chiefs will very rarely get points. The only other times the Chiefs might be underdogs this season, unless there are key injuries, will be at Tampa Bay on Nov. 29 and at New Orleans on Dec. 20. And there’s no guarantee the Chiefs will be underdogs in either of those games.

Since Week 2 of the 2018 season, Patrick Mahomes’ first season as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, this is just the second time the Chiefs have been underdogs by more than a field goal according to Pro Football Reference. The Chiefs covered as 3.5-point underdogs in a 3-point loss at New England on Oct. 14, 2018.

No wonder bettors want the Chiefs. They don’t get points with Mahomes very often. It is interesting that even though the Chiefs are getting a majority of the action and it’ll be a high volume game, the line has not budged.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) takes on the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Monday night. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Over has gotten most of the action

The line has moved on the total due to a large majority of bets coming in on the over. Bettors are hoping Monday night’s game follows the league-wide trend of overs hitting at nearly 60 percent through three weeks.

The line opened at 53.5, and moved to 54.5 at BetMGM because 85.0% of tickets and 91.2% of handle is on the over. The biggest bet at BetMGM on Monday night’s game was $95,454 to win $86,776 on over 54.5. There was also a $40,000 to win $22,857 on the Ravens moneyline at -175.

Bettors will be hoping the Chiefs win (or lose by a field goal or less) in a high-scoring game on Monday night. Either way, it’s a game that will affect how the rest of the NFL season plays out.

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