Everyone has been waiting for this moment.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made no secret of their excitement to get Rashee Rice back from suspension, and the team's Week 7 date against the Las Vegas Raiders has been circled for quite some time for that very reason.
It's interesting that only one game in the standings separate the Chiefs and Raiders, and that both are mired in the lower half of the AFC West. However, there's a vast difference between the two franchises at this stage. Even Adam Schefter recently claimed the Chiefs as his top-ranked team coming out of Week 6. No one is saying that about the Raiders.
Still, Raiders-Chiefs games always turn out a bit wonky, so it's hard to predict what will happen with any certainty. Here are our writers' predictions for Week 7.
It's time for our weekly writers' predictions for what should be a lopsided game at Arrowhead against the Raiders.
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**Drae Blackwell-Harris**
Chiefs get everyone’s best shot. I think LV makes it competitive for a quarter or so. **Chiefs 28, Raiders 10**
**Price Carter**
It's hard to think the Raiders have much chance of slowing down the Chiefs offense. Right now it feels like the only thing that can slow down the Chiefs is themselves like they did in Jacksonville. The only path for this game to be close is KC hurting themselves and not being able to bottle up Ashton Jeanty. We're on Minshew watch this Sunday. **Chiefs 35, Raiders 14**
**Matt Conner**
This should be a blowout. A team with all the momentum gaining back a one of their 4-5 best players against a rival team in the midst of another season spent in the divisional basement. But one word in that sentence is the problematic one: rival. Somehow these games are always way too close. **Chiefs 24, Raiders 21**
**Bransen Gibson**
The Chiefs look like a team that's back to its dangerous self, while the Raiders look like the same team that's been Raidering for a decade. The Chiefs will score 30+ points for the third time in a four-game span for the first time since 2022 and roll past a mid Las Vegas team. **Chiefs 31, Raiders 21**
**Lyle Graversen**
The Chiefs seem to be finding their groove offensively, and now they get Rashee Rice back. The Raiders just don't have enough talent on either side of the ball to keep pace with the Chiefs. **Chiefs 34, Raiders 16**
**Braden Holecek**
The Raiders' defense just had its best performance against arguably the worst offense in the league, the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs' offense is operating at a tremendous level. Las Vegas will not be able to make enough stops. The Chiefs are also highly motivated to get above .500 for the first time this season. What better way to add more motivation than Raider Week? Kansas City wins by multiple scores again. **Chiefs 34, Raiders 17**
**Scott Loring**
Brock Bowers has missed the last two games, and if he can't make it back to the lineup, Las Vegas will have no shot. The Raiders will need a huge game from Ashton Jeanty and a few mistakes from the Chiefs in order to keep this one close. It won't happen. **Chiefs 27, Raiders 13**
**Greg Morse**
Just Chief baby! It’s Raider week and it’s just in time for the Chiefs to be so back. Dare I say we have a similar game to the time Jamaal Charles scored a bajillion TDs on the Raiders? I think so. Mahomes strengthens his MVP case to the tune of 5 (!) touchdowns, including a sweet homecoming for Rashee Rice. **Chiefs 42, Raiders 10**
**Charles Robinson**
Rashee Rice is back, the Chiefs are back on top of Super Bowl betting odds, and it's only a matter of time before they're back atop the AFC West standings. A good start would be a whooping of the Raiders that concludes early enough for everyone to let their Sunday scaries fully sink in. Those negative thoughts will start early Sunday morning for the Raiders and won't relent through the 3 o'clock central hour. **Chiefs 37, Raiders 16**
**Lucas Strozinsky**
This game just screams "weird." Noon game, Chiefs are heavy favorites, and it's a rivalry game. The Chiefs will win, but it will be frustrating. **Chiefs 26, Raiders 17**