Raiders and Chiefs meet at 3-0 with the AFC West lead on the line

The Raiders and the Chiefs both show up at Allegiant Stadium at 3-0, and only one of them leaves that way. Kickoff is 1:25 p.m. Pacific on CBS with Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt on the call, the winner takes early control of the AFC West, and per the team, Las Vegas has not started 4-0 since 2002.

The market is polite about it, not persuaded. Kansas City is a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. That is a short number for a road team and still a number, which is roughly where a 3-0 roster that was supposed to be rebuilding should expect to sit.

The reason sits on the ledger. Patrick Mahomes is 13-2 against the Raiders with 36 touchdown passes and five interceptions, he has never lost to them on the road, and he is 37-8 inside the division, as Pro Football Talk laid out Sunday morning. Three good weeks do not retire eight years of debt.

Both teams are short at the point of attack. The Raiders ruled out guard Jackson Powers-Johnson with a groin injury, so Caleb Rogers starts again, and Chris Jones is a bad week to be patching the interior. Kansas City is without left tackle Josh Simmons, who is out with a back injury, which leaves whoever replaces him across from Maxx Crosby. Jones (calf), Rashee Rice (knee) and Mahomes (knee) all appear on the Chiefs report with no designation, so plan on seeing them.

Quarterback Aidan O'Connell is back with the team, listed questionable for reasons that are not injury related, after the death of his father, as the Review-Journal reported Saturday. Kirk Cousins starts, as he has all year.

The Raiders' case is narrow and real. They lead the league in takeaways, which is how an 11-point hole in New Orleans became a 35-27 win, and Brock Bowers caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in his season debut. Opinion, clearly labeled: this game turns on whether Klint Kubiak's offense stays on schedule against Steve Spagnuolo, who has spent a decade making young offenses look young.

Inactives land 90 minutes before kickoff, so watch for Ashton Jeanty's ankle and the safety group. Then watch Kansas City's first third down. Takeaways have paid the bills here for three weeks. Against Mahomes, the invoice tends to arrive.