DeAndre Hopkins

The Chiefs made a big splashā€¦

but the betting markets arenā€™t surprised by this latest trade acquisition.

Hopkins Lands In Kansas City

What Happened: Despite their immaculate 6-0 record, the Chiefs were never going to stand pat. Injuries to wide receivers Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthyā€™s acclimation to the NFL practically demanded that the teamā€™s front office go and get QB Patrick Mahomes another steady set of hands.

We now know that DeAndre Hopkins is en route to Arrowhead Stadium to help fill the void. So how does the veteran wideout improve a team who many simply expect to make the Super Bowl as a baseline expectation?

Why It Matters: After flirting with adding a different big name receiver via trade, Kansas City landed on Hopkins, sending a conditional fourth-round pick to Tennessee. And from there the Chiefsā€™ odds to capture another Super Bowl titleā€¦

ā€¦stood still. Neither DraftKings (+400) nor FanDuel (+430) shifted KCā€™s odds after acquiring Hopkins. Which is worth examining.

To be clear, this ainā€™t the 2018-2020 version of DeAndre Hopkins that Mahomes will be throwing to. But Hopkins is undoubtedly an upgrade over JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, or Skyy Moore, the teamā€™s in-house options to receive more work in the passing game.

Weā€™ve also seen Andy Reid turn receivers acquired mid-season into valuable contributors. In the past two Super Bowls, both Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman found the endzone in the big game after being dumped by the Giants and Jets, respectively, onto Kansas City.

So, will Hopkinsā€™ arrival really mean nothing for the Chiefsā€™ odds at a three-peat? Doubtful. More likely is the notion that oddsmakers expected something like this from Reid and GM Brett Veach, so thereā€™s no need to boost what are already the shortest odds of any team to finish this season as champions.

What Weā€™re Watching Today

Robert Lewandowski

Champions League Soccer (3:00 PM ET) ā€“ Itā€™s finally back, with some tasty matchups to boot. Barca, led by manager Hansi Flick and striker Robert Lewandowski, take on Bayern Munich, who previously employedā€¦Flick and Lewandowski. Weā€™ve also got Liverpool taking on RB Leipzig and the old bossā€¦kinda?

Bucks at 76ers (7:30 PM ET) ā€“ This one probably looked better to ESPNā€™s broadcasting team when Joel Embiid and Paul George were expected to, ya know, play. Even so, weā€™ll be tuning in to see if the Giannis-Dame duo can level up after a somewhat disappointing first season together.

The Look Ahead

Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford

Vikings at Rams ā€“ A Week 7 loss to the Lions finally loosened the Vikingsā€™ grip on the NFC North, while the Rams defeated the Raiders and stayed alive in a mediocre NFC West. Betting on this one? Of course you are, but not before absorbing some solid info from your friends at FCS:

šŸ˜¢ The Vikes lost a heartbreaker to Detroit on Sunday, and it might be tough to bounce back. Since last season, teams are 4-8 straight up immediately following games against the Lions. And two of those wins shouldnā€™t even count, considering they came against the Panthers. Is the Dan Campbell Hangover Effect real?

āœˆļø Since 2019, road teams on Thursday nights have covered against the spread at a nearly 60% rate (54-40). The line on this game currently is Minnesota -3.

šŸ§ The heavies have been delivering for bettors recently. Since Week 5, underdogs have gone 14-28-1 against the spread, meaning favorites have been delivering as of late.

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