The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs this coming weekend, and it’s safe to say this will be a tough one. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has set an NFL record for most touchdown passes through two games to start a season. He had four in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and another six in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both games came on the road, and now the Chiefs get their home opener against the 49ers.
It is fitting then that the 49ers are sizable underdogs with line showing some serious movement. The line opened with the 49ers as low as a 4.5 point underdog at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. It now stands at six points, with some some up to seven points.
Early money is heavily on the Chiefs, which is not surprising given their performance these first two weeks. If the money keeps pouring in on Kansas City, we could see the line continue climbing. However, if sportsbooks don’t want to go too far north, they can also adjust the vig, lowering the payout for subsequent bets on the spread. Either way, I suspect we see more adjustments in favor of the Chiefs.
The 49ers offense should be able to do some things against a shaky at best Chiefs defense. On the other hand, I really don’t know what the 49ers defense is going to do against Patrick Mahomes and company. The pass rush is inconsistent, and while Richard Sherman is off to a solid start with the 49ers, the rest of the secondary has struggled in a big way. Ahkello Witherspoon was benched on Sunday in the fourth quarter, so confidence will be a concern for the time being. Jaquiski Tartt suffered a shoulder injury, and we’re still awaiting a status update. The good news is the 49ers welcome back Reuben Foster, but it’s going to be a tough one on Sunday for this defense.