The Ravens and Chiefs will kick off the NFL season with a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game.

The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs will start the new NFL season on September 5 in a highly anticipated duel between quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, the 2023-2024 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in football currently. 

The two franchises will square off after playing in the AFC Championship game last season where the Chiefs were victorious by a score of 17-10 in Baltimore. This matchup will take place in Kansas City with the Chiefs being favored on ESPN Bet by three points and the Ravens having odds of +130 to get revenge for the defeat. 

The AFC Championship game was the Ravens to lose mainly, as holding the Chiefs to just 17 points is typically a recipe for success. Zay Flowers, playing in his rookie season, fumbled the football on what would’ve been a touchdown but ended up being a touchback for Kansas City. 

From there, the Chiefs were able to control possession and secure the win to go on to the Super Bowl and defeat the San Francisco 49ers for its second consecutive Lombardi trophy. Now, Jackson and the Ravens will look to prove that the team is more than capable of beating Mahomes and that it should be the favorites to win the AFC this season. 

On ESPN Bet currently, the Chiefs are the favorite to once again return to the Super Bowl at +325 while the Ravens are second with odds of +500. With a victory in Kansas City, however, those odds could quickly change on ESPN Bet along with numerous other operators. Baltimore will have to hope that the additions it made in the offseason will help make up for the departures the team also witnessed this summer. 

Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks while linebacker Patrick Queen joined the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Tennessee Titans. The Ravens added running back Derrick Henry to help offset the need for Jackson’s rushing ability and took cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft who has received some preseason hype. 

The Chiefs, meanwhile, kept most of its Super Bowl-winning squad together, but did suffer a potential significant loss in cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Titans. The Chiefs did add some speed to its offense, though, by drafting wide receiver Xavier Worthy and signing Hollywood Brown in free agency. Unfortunately, Brown suffered a leg injury in the preseason and will miss the matchup with the Ravens, according to Kansas City head coach Andy Reid. 

The loss should not stop the Chiefs from winning its week one matchup, as the Ravens will need time to adjust to the loss of Macdonald on defense. While much of his previous staff still remains in Baltimore, he was only with the Ravens for two seasons and his play style is not simple by any means. Being able to replicate his schematics will be no easy task and Kansas City should feel at ease knowing he won’t be on the opposing sideline come September 5. 

Kansas City used tight end Travis Kelce to move the ball in the playoff matchup as the star player finished with 11 catches for 116 yards receiving and a touchdown. Kelce is on the tailend of his career, with the Chiefs deploying him mostly on third down and specific passing situations, but he still has plenty of talent left and should be a factor in the upcoming game. 

The Ravens may choose to put added attention on Kelce, which would only open more space for Worthy and second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice. Mahomes is a master at buying time and finding open people in space, so the game plan should not change much especially with Macdonald’s departure. 

The Ravens will have to run the ball successfully and control possession if it hopes to go into Kansas City and leave with a 1-0 record after Thursday. With Henry now leading the backfield, Baltimore should be able to rely on Jackson's passing ability more this season and worry less about a potential injury to its star quarterback. 

Jackson managed to play the entirety of last season, but has been known to miss time throughout the year with various ailments. Although the Chiefs will deploy perhaps the best defensive tackle in the NFL with Chris Jones, the Ravens should still look to dominate on the ground and use Henry to open up the middle of the field for Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews. 

Kansas City will most likely be able to find victory behind Mahomes, Kelce and a defense that should maintain its strong play despite the loss of Sneed. If the Chiefs can control the line of scrimmage and not let Henry dominate much as he did during his tenure with Tennessee, the team could start strong on its path to a third consecutive Super Bowl win. 

Player props and parlays still remain an option for bettors also and with the NFL season just days away, operators everywhere should be offering specials and promotions for all users. As Kansas City and Baltimore prepare to begin the 2024-2025 season, fans and bettors alike are starting to build excitement for the possibilities each NFL season contains.