Don’t look now, but kickoff for the 2020 NFL season is less than two weeks away.
The Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, are set to host the Houston Texans on Sept. 10 at 8:20 p.m. EST.
DraftKings Sportsbook wants to put some extra money in the pockets of Iowa sports bettors as part of the kickoff with a promotional offer.
Iowa sports bettors can claim $101 bonus bet
To celebrate the 2020 NFL kickoff, DraftKings is offering a $101 bonus bet to new users.
The promotion started on Thursday at 5 p.m. EST and will conclude on Monday, Aug. 31, at 10 p.m. EST.
To qualify, you must place your first bet on the Texans vs. Chiefs game. The bet must be a minimum of $10. There is no minimum to odds used for the wager.
Once you wager, you will receive the bonus bet on or by Sept. 1.
The promotion excludes:
- Cash-out bets
- bonus bets
- Live bets
- Odds boosts
- Parlays
- Voided bets
Per Iowa’s in-person registration policy, new online sports betting customers must visit a retail sportsbook first. If you are a new DraftKings customer, visit one of its retail sportsbook locations at Wild Rose Clinton, Wild Rose Jefferson or Wild Rose Emmetsburg to register.
Other participating states for the offer include New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Oddsmakers see Chiefs as double-digit favorite
The Kansas City Chiefs begin their Super Bowl defense in the NFL kickoff on Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans. The game will air live on NBC.
Iowa sportsbooks see the Chiefs as the clear favorite.
DraftKings lists Kansas City as a 10-point favorite at home against the Texans.
On the moneyline, Kansas City holds -500 odds to win straight up. Houston has +375 odds to pull off the upset. Oddsmakers list the over/under total at 54.5 points.
Along with its success in winning games, the Chiefs were very good to sports bettors in 2019. KC posted a league-best 13-5-1 record against the spread. The Chiefs were 10-9 with the over.
Houston didn’t have that same success at the betting window. The Texans held an 8-9-1 record against the spread. Houston posted a 10-8 mark with the under.
The Chiefs lead the all-time series with the Texans, 7-5.
Chiefs fresh off Super Bowl run
Kansas City won its second Super Bowl championship in franchise history last winter.
KC ranked in the top five in the NFL offensively, averaging 28.2 points and 379.2 yards per game.
Patrick Mahomes dealt with a knee injury for part of the season, but still threw for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns. The fourth-year QB threw for 901 yards and 10 touchdowns in three playoff games.
Mahomes has plenty of weapons to work with. Travis Kelce had over 1,200 yards receiving in 2019, while Tyreek Hill put up 860 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 regular-season games.
The Chiefs look to improve their run game in 2020 by bringing in first-round draft pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire from LSU.
Defensively, Kansas City allowed 19.3 points and 349.6 yards per game in 2019.
New-look Texans hope to take the next step
The Houston Texans won the AFC South in 2019 with a 10-6 record. Houston followed that with a playoff win over the Buffalo Bills before losing to the Chiefs in the second round, 51-31.
In the offseason, the Texans made an eye-opening trade. Houston sent star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson. Houston also received a 2020 second-round draft pick and a 2021 fourth-round selection.
Hopkins has been one of the NFL’s top receivers over his seven years with Houston. He caught 54 touchdowns and amassed 8,602 yards. Last year Hopkins had 1,165 yards and seven scores.
Overall, the Texans averaged 23.6 points and 362 yards per game offensively. Their run game put up 125.6 yards per game, but the Texans hope Johnson brings a new dynamic to the offense. Johnson had just 345 yards rushing in 13 games last season.
Deshaun Watson remains the face of the Texans offense. He threw for 3,852 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2019. He also rushed for 413 yards and seven scores.
Houston struggled defensively last year, giving up 24.1 points and 388.3 yards per game.
J.J. Watt hopes to get in a full season for the Texans after an injury that limited him to eight games in 2019. Watt has missed 32 regular-season games over the last four years.