The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host the Cleveland Browns at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season
Early odds from BetMGM have started to roll in and it didn’t take long for Kansas City to open as the favorite. Right now, they’re considered 5.5-point favorites over Cleveland in Week 1. The money line for the Chiefs is currently listed at -275, while the Browns come in at +210. That gives Kansas City a 73.3% implied win probability. The over/under point total hasn’t yet been set, but we’ll update you here when it is.
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the Chiefs are opening favorites here. Kansas City dispatched the Browns in the divisional round of the playoffs en route to Super Bowl LV last year. They even did so with Patrick Mahomes playing on one foot and their backup quarterback playing for 1.5 quarters. Not to mention injuries on the offensive line and to running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
On the flip side, the last time Cleveland won their season opener was in 2004 against the Baltimore Ravens. To add some context to just how long ago that was, two years prior was the last time the Chiefs and Browns met in a season opener. It was the infamous untimed-down game when Dwayne Rudd tossed his helmet and drew a penalty, setting up a game-winning field goal for Morten Anderson.
Obviously, this is a much-improved Browns team that went to the playoffs in 2020. They shouldn’t be underestimated, but it’s going to take a lot more than a few offseason additions in Cleveland for oddsmakers to back them over Kansas City in Week 1. Remember, the Chiefs have never lost a game in September with Mahomes as their quarterback.
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