The NFL returns to Brazil for the second consecutive season when the Kansas City Chiefs battle the Los Angeles Chargers in a key AFC West matchup on Friday, Sept. 5. After winning two consecutive Super Bowl championships, the Chiefs fell short in Super Bowl LIX, losing 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chargers (11-6 in 2024), who finished second in the division, are coming off a 32-12 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans last season. The Chiefs (15-2 in 2024), who have won nine consecutive AFC West titles, have at least one postseason win over the past seven years. Najee Harris (eye) is available for the Chargers, though Omarion Hampton will start at running back. Chiefs rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is inactive with an ankle injury. 

Kickoff from Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Brazil, is set for 8 p.m. ET.  Kansas City is a 3-point favorite in the latest Chargers vs. Chiefs odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 47.5. Before making any Chiefs vs. Chargers picks, be sure to see what SportsLine expert Mike Tierney has to say, and new users can also target the latest DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He is 235-189-13 in his NFL picks the past three seasons, returning $2,505 to $100 players (every bet 1 unit). He hit 61.2% of his ATS picks (61-39-3) last season. Anyone following could've seen huge returns. 

Now, Tierney has set his sights on Chiefs vs. Chargers and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Chargers vs. Chiefs:

Why the Chiefs can cover

Ninth-year veteran quarterback Patrick Mahomes helps power the Kansas City offense. The 10th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft continues to be among the elite signal callers in the game. Last year, he completed 67.5% of his passes, throwing for 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 93.5 rating. In 112 career games, he has thrown for 32,352 yards and 245 touchdowns with 74 interceptions and a 102.1 rating. In the Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia, he completed 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns with two picks. He also rushed four times for 25 yards.

Mahomes' top target is tight end Travis Kelce. He enters his 12th season with Kansas City. In 16 games last season, Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving with 97 catches for 823 yards (8.5 average) and three touchdowns. He had 10 games with at least five receptions, including a season-high 14 in a 30-24 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 4. In a 23-14 divisional round win over the Houston Texans, he caught seven passes for 117 yards (16.7 average) and one touchdown. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Chargers can cover

Quarterback Justin Herbert enters his sixth season as the Chargers' quarterback. The sixth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has played in 79 career regular-season games for Los Angeles, completing 66.5% of his passes for 21,093 yards and 137 touchdowns with 45 interceptions and a rating of 96.7. He played in all 17 games last year, completing 332 of 504 passes (65.9%) for 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns with just three interceptions and a 101.7 rating. In a 34-20 win at Las Vegas on Jan. 5, he had arguably his best game of the year. He completed 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns.

Second-year wide receiver Ladd McConkey is looking to build off of a solid 2024. In 16 games, he led the Chargers in receiving with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 15 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a long of 60, with 390 yards after the catch and 52 first-down conversions. In the Wild Card loss to Houston, he caught nine passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $300 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make Chiefs vs. Chargers picks

Tierney has analyzed Chiefs vs. Chargers from every angle and he's leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Chiefs vs. Chargers, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?. You can head to SportsLine to see his Chiefs vs. Chargers picks. Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the expert that is 61-39-3 on his last 103 NFL picks, and find out.