The Chiefs are playing at home in primetime. Imagine that. Mahomes gets clicks. He throws picks, but are he and the Chiefs the pick in their Monday Night Football matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Let’s break down the Week 9 matchup and some of the best bets you can take on DraftKings Sportsbook. You can also check out all of our NFL content on DraftKings Network here.
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Pick: Chiefs -9 (-112)
Can the Bucs win without receivers? Unlike their opponent, the answer is no, at least thus far. The Chiefs win without receivers, but they’re the Chiefs and Andy Reid always gets the most out of his players. It doesn’t matter what pieces he’s playing with. Some of his successful seasons ages ago with the Eagles did not feature superstar receivers. Remember Fred-Ex? Reid is fine as long as he has a competent QB, but Patrick Mahomes is more than that. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and an elite defense help, as well. Meanwhile, the Bucs do not have much of a defense and Baker Mayfield is not Patrick Mahomes.
How do the Buccaneers compete with the Chiefs at Arrowhead on Monday night? The only hope for a cover is a conservative approach from Reid. That assumes a conservative approach can’t beat a poor defense, and that Reid doesn’t figure out how to use his own ragtag receiving corps, and that those pass catchers don’t improve each week. Recent history and a shelf full of Lombardi Trophies prove otherwise.
The cover is all about the recover. Can DeAndre Hopkins be elite? Is Travis Kelce still a premier tight end? Is Clyde Edwards-Helaire ready and can Kareem Hunt continue to be productive? These players have all been stars, but their shine has faded. That’s the beauty of the Andy Reid system. He soaks up every last bit of solar power from aging stars and delays the black hole. Every player mentioned might not be residing in Kansas City next season, but for now, they reside and ride with Reid and a scheme that benefits players who may have lost a step. This offense has plenty left in the tank to take care of business against a porous defense at home on Monday Night Football.
The Pick: Cade Otton Over 4.5 Receptions (-155)
This is Cade Otton’s moment. The 2022 fourth-round pick did not have an impressive college career. The 2020 COVID season and an injury in 2021 resulted in lackluster stats at the University of Washington. However, his Husky size and talents meant more to the Tampa Bay scouts. Otton caught 42 passes for 391 yards as a rookie. Those numbers improved modestly in season number two, but it’s hard to pad stats on a team with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Although his volume isn’t great, his production is solid — Otton averages over nine yards per reception.
The volume is no longer a problem. Evans and Godwin are out, so Otton is basically all Tampa Bay has left. Thus, he’s gotten all of the action lately. Otton caught nine-of-10 targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns last week. He caught 8-of-10 for 100 yards in Week 7. Otton has been targeted eight or more times in four of the last six games. In those four games, he caught nearly every target. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end has been sure-handed all season. Drops were the only knock on Otton coming out of college. Now that he’s gotten that out of his system, Otton is in the midst of a breakout. The young tight end blocks, runs great routes, and has the size and speed to be elite.
Monday Night Football is Cade Otton’s coming-out party. He has an opportunity to pad stats in a negative game script. If the Bucs keep this game close, Otton will be a major contributor. He could be a hero, and it’s unlikely that Otton is a zero. The Chiefs have allowed the third-most receptions to tight ends this season.
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