Kansas City at Denver prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, January 8
Kansas City at Denver How To Watch
Date: Saturday, January 8
Game Time: 4:30 ET
Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
How To Watch: ESPN/ABC
Record: Kansas City (11-5), Denver (7-9)
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Kansas City at Denver Game Preview
Why Kansas City Will Win
The Chiefs can put the pressure on Tennessee for the No. 1 seed.
It’s the opening game of the weekend so Kansas City obviously gets to go first. Win, hope for Tennessee to lose at Houston, and Patrick Mahomes and company will get the much-coveted week off.
Denver has fallen off a map over the last three weeks, losing four of its last five games, with only a win over Detroit breaking the gloom.
The ground game has gone bye-bye with no one believing Drew Lock can get the job done with the passing game, and the points aren’t there with 13 or fewer in four of the last five games and five of the last seven, including a 22-9 loss to the Chiefs.
But …
– NFL Expert Picks, CFN Week 18
Why Denver Will Win
So what can Denver possibly do to keep up?
The passing game has to start bombing and keep it going.
The Broncos don’t have a pitch-and-catch combination like Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow to JaMarr Chase, but there’s talent at the skill spots with the upside to start doing far more.
The running game rumbled for over 150 yards in the first meeting, and getting that many is a must as a starting point. Do that, start to push the ball deep – Kansas City allows close to seven yards per pass – and let it all hang out, because there’s nothing to lose.
It’s sometimes fun to play the spoiler’s role.
– NFL Week 18 Schedules, Predictions
What’s Going To Happen
Kansas City will strike fast as it tries to get this over fast, but Denver’s defense will be plucky in the final game of its season.
There will be takeaways, there will be a running game, and there will be too many drives that stall. The Broncos just don’t score enough, and they’re not going to be able to keep up as the Chiefs start to pull ahead late in the first half.
Kansas City at Denver Prediction, Line
Kansas City 27, Denver 16
Line: Kansas City -11.5, o/u: 45
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3
5: Elmo
1: Rocco