Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens: Week 1 Preview, Score Predictions

How will the Kansas City Chiefs fare when the Baltimore Ravens come to town for Week 1? Let's predict opening night of the 2024 season.

Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (left) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (right) after the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Kansas City Chiefs football is officially back, with football's top team looking to start its three-peat push on a high note.

Following a busy offseason for the back-to-back champs, Andy Reid's group is back under the bright lights at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Rolling into town are the Baltimore Ravens, a talented squad seeking revenge from January's AFC Championship Game.

How will the game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew makes its predictions for Week 1 of the 2024-25 campaign.

Joshua Brisco: While I do think the Chiefs' offense will be significantly more dynamic and reliable when Hollywood Brown returns, a rejuvenated group of pass-catchers should still test the Ravens' restructured defense. I'm incredibly curious to see how Baltimore's defense handles the departure of former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who left to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. While I have some lingering concerns about the Chiefs' second cornerback position (and exactly how Trent McDuffie will be used as the team's clear No. 1 corner), I'm betting on the defense to hold just steady enough for KC to win an electric game to kick off the 2024 NFL season.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Ravens 24

Jordan Foote: In my preview article for this week, I picked the Chiefs to win by six points. As we get closer and closer to kickoff, that still seems right. While I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lamar Jackson and a great Ravens team, it seems like Kansas City is on a mission to begin the year with a bang. Expect a L'Jarius Sneed-less defense to shine just enough, and look for Patrick Mahomes and Co. to break off a few chunk plays in Week 1. It won't be a perfect outing for the two-time reigning Super Bowl winners, but they'll remind the football world of their status nonetheless.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Ravens 21

Zack Eisen: Another season, another banner night for the Chiefs. Their quest for a three-peat begins with a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. That game was a low-scoring affair with the teams combining for only 27 points. However, the Chiefs revamped their offense in the offseason. Even though they won’t have Hollywood Brown in this game, they will put on a show on opening night. On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas City looks pretty similar to how it did in January and Steve Spagnuolo has historically done well scheming against this version of the Ravens’ offense.

Prediction: Chiefs 35, Ravens 20

Mark Van Sickle: An AFC Championship Game rematch to kick off the NFL season at the home of back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs makes this feel like it will be a great game. Last season, in what was a rare occurrence for Andy Reid, the Chiefs lost their Week 1 game. I don’t anticipate that happening again with Travis Kelce and Chris Jones available in the opener plus new weapons for Mahomes to work with that should be an improvement. If the Ravens really try and stop Isiah Pacheco and the Chiefs' running game to make them one-dimensional, I'd anticipate Mahomes dominating from start to finish. If the defense can keep Lamar Jackson in check, the Chiefs may be able to win this one by double digits.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Ravens 17

Read More: Will the Chiefs Three-Peat? MVP No. 3 for Patrick Mahomes? Experts Predict the 2024 NFL Season