Lions vs. Chiefs player props were thrown a curveball on Tuesday, when Andy Reid announced that Travis Kelce’s status for the NFL season opener was up in the air due to a hyperextended knee.
According to our Sean Koerner, Kelce is among the most valuable offensive players (not including quarterbacks) in the NFL against the spread. His absence creates a hole in the Chiefs offense, one that needs to be filled against the upstart Lions.
Two of our betting analysts landed on the same player to step up: Skyy Moore.
Check out the Lions vs. Chiefs player prop that our experts agree is the bet to make on Thursday night.
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Cody Goggin: Even before the news of Travis Kelce’s injury broke, I had been eyeing Chiefs receiving props. With JuJu Smith-Schuster leaving town, the Kansas City receiving corps seems even more up in the air heading into this year.
If you had been paying attention to their offense this preseason, it was Skyy Moore who was getting the full-time starter treatment opposite Marquez Valdes-Scantling. After having an up and down rookie year, Moore saw his usage increase as the season progressed, and he ultimately scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl. All of the reports out of camp around Moore have been glowing, including ones from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
With Kelce being either out or limited and Kadarius Toney seeing his first action with the team this year, I expect Moore to be heavily featured in the Week One game plan.
This prop may seem scary as Moore only went over this total once last season. With his increased workload in the offense, though, I think that he'll have the best game of his career.
I would take this up to 46.5 receiving yards.
John LanFranca: The last time Kelce missed a game was December 2021. The likes of Byron Pringle and Mecole Hardman combined for nine receptions and 106 yards. Mahomes led the Chiefs to a blowout victory, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt.
Moore now steps into the vital slot role for Reid's offense, which consistently targets wide receivers. In 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster led the attack in the middle of the field when health permitted. In the nine games in which Smith-Schuster was targeted five or more times, he eclipsed 44 yards receiving eight times.
The reports out of camp have been positive in regards to Moore, as his understanding of the offense has greatly increased. He's going to play in the majority of the Chiefs' 2-WR sets and is very likely to finish second in total routes run out of all pass catchers in this game. As a rookie, albeit in a small sample, Moore was fifth out of all NFL WRs in yards after catch per reception (6.3).
When combining his run-after-catch skills with the sheer number of looks he will get with Kelce sidelined, Moore should soar past this number. I'd bet this over up to 44.5 receiving yards.
