Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce Questionable to Play in Week 6
Posted on: October 12, 2023, 10:06h.
Last updated on: October 12, 2023, 11:16h.
Swifties are wondering if their queen, Taylor Swift, will attend the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, bettors are wondering if Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Swift’s rumored boyfriend, will play with an ankle injury.
Kelce is currently listed as questionable on the injury report with a sprained right ankle, and his availability for the Chiefs will be a game-time decision.
Kelce missed Week 1 with a knee injury. He sat out the season opener and the Detroit Lions upset the Chiefs on the first Thursday Night Football broadcast of the season. He returned to the lineup in Week 2, and the Chiefs won four games in a row.
With a 4-1 record, the Chiefs hold down first place in the AFC West. They’re also tied for the best record in the AFC with the Miami Dolphins.
The Broncos are tied with the New England Patriots for the worst record in the AFC at 1-4.
The Broncos lost 15 consecutive games to the Chiefs, who dominated their AFC West divisional battle. The New York Jets and Broncos are tied for the worst active losing streak against one specific team at 15 losses in a row. The Jets lost 15 straight AFC East divisional games against the Patriots.
Kelce Suffers Noncontact Injury Against the Vikings
The Chiefs thwarted a fourth-quarter comeback from the Minnesota Vikings to win their Week 5 matchup, 27-20. The big story in that game focused on the Vikings losing All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a hamstring injury. Kelce also sustained an injury in the game, which flew under the radar.
Kelce had a noncontact injury in the second quarter, which was diagnosed as a sprained ankle. He exited the game, but returned to play the entire second half. Even with a sprained ankle, Kelce caught 10 passes (on 11 targets) for 67 yards and one touchdown.
“Travis, what can I say?” said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “Legendary performance. To play hurt, through the pain. Not just the ankle, but his knee too. Legendary.”
Kelce was limited in the Chiefs’ only practice during a short week to prepare for a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Broncos.
Kelce’s got quite a little bit of treatment on it, so he’s feeling a little bit better, which is good,” said head coach Andy Reid.
In four games this season, Kelce caught 27 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs are 0-1 in games that Kelce didn’t play.
If Kelce is unable to play, backup tight end Noah Gray is a solid replacement. Gray caught 10 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown this season.
When Swift watches Kelce play in person, the Chiefs are 2-0. Swift was in Hollywood last night attending a premier of her concert film, but she’s expected to fly to Kansas City to cheer on Kelce.
“Taylor plans to travel to Missouri to watch Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos,” reported TMZ.
Jason Kelce Rants About Artificial Turf
Jason Kelce, the starting center with the Philadelphia Eagles, cohosts a podcast with his brother, Travis. On their most recent episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, the discussion turned to playing surfaces.
Even though multiple studies shed insight that more injuries occur — particularly noncontact injuries — on artificial turf fields versus traditional grass fields, the NFL has been adamant about letting teams and venues dictate their own playing surface. The NFL insists that players prefer turf, yet the player’s union says the opposite is true, and that players want to play on grass.
One study analyzed 4,801 injuries between 2012 and 2016, and concluded there are 16% more injuries per play on artificial turf versus grass.
“It puts more strain on the joints,” said Travis Kelce on his podcast.
US Bank Stadium, where the Vikings play home games, has an artificial turf field. Kelce slipped on the turf, which caused a noncontact ankle injury on Sunday.
“We need to get rid of turf all together,” ranted Jason Kelce. “I don’t want to hear it like it’s an indoor stadium. They make UV lights. You can grow grass inside. There’s pot barns right down the street that are growing mountains of f—ing pot. We can grow grass indoors. All right? I don’t want to hear this nonsense.”
In case you were wondering, the Chiefs play home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which recently installed a new grass field.
Betting the Chiefs/Broncos in Week 6
Bettors weren’t deterred by the possibility of the Chiefs playing Thursday night without Kelce. Oddsmakers opened the line on Sunday night with the Chiefs a -10.5 favorite against the visiting Broncos. The line actually moved a half-point at DraftKings, and the point spread is currently -11. Most sportsbooks in Las Vegas, including the Circa, South Point, and SuperBook at Westgate, have the Chiefs at -10.5
When Kelce plays, the Chiefs are 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the point spread (ATS) this season.
The Chiefs are 3-2 ATS in 2023. They failed to cover against the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 3. Mahomes made a controversial slide at the two-yard line to end the game instead of scoring a touchdown, which would have provided bettors a cover.
The Broncos are 1-4 straight up and 0-4-1 against the spread. Their lone win occurred against the Chicago Bears.
The Chiefs are the betting favorite to win the AFC West at -345 odds. The Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) are their biggest threat to win the division at +320 odds, but they recently lost wide receiver Mike Williams to a season-ending ACL injury. The Las Vegas Raiders (2-3) are +1800 odds, and the Broncos are a huge long shot at +4500.
The undefeated San Francisco 49ers (5-0) are the consensus favorite to win Super Bowl LVIII at +350 odds. The Chiefs are second on DraftKings’ futures board at +550.
Oddsmakers adjusted their win totals to reflect the first five weeks of the season. The Chiefs have an adjusted win total of 12.5 over/under, and the Broncos have a win total of 4.5 o/u.
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