The Broncos face a win-and-get-in situation as they host the No. 1 seed Chiefs in Week 18.
Denver is 9-7 and added some drama to its season with an OT loss at the Bengals last week (30-24) and a loss at the Chargers prior to that (34-27). The Broncos now must win or they are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs pending the Bengals’ outcome against the Steelers on Saturday. If the Steelers win, then the Broncos are in and the outcome of this game doesn’t matter.
Kansas City is 15-1 and locked into the No. 1 seed of the AFC. The Chiefs are resting their starters ahead of this game, which is why Kansas City is an 8.5 to 10-point underdog ahead of this matchup. Kansas City won 16-14 on a walkoff blocked field goal against the Broncos earlier this season, but this one will likely be less dramatic.
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Game Details and How to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos on Sunday
· Date: Sunday, January 5, 2024
· Time: 4:25 PM EST
· Site: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
· City: Denver, CO
· TV/Streaming: CBS
Want to check out the other games on the NFL schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time, and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!
Game odds for Chiefs vs. Broncos
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Kansas City Chiefs (+390), Denver Broncos (-520)
Spread: Broncos -10 (-110)
Total: 38.5
The spread opened at Denver -8.5 and -9, so bettors have taken to the Broncos. The total has dropped from 40.5 and appears likely to fall to 37 or 37.5 by kickoff.
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Chiefs to cover the +10 point spread because of the potential closing line value:
“While I think the Bengals should beat the Steelers on Saturday, there is a chance Pittsburgh wins and this game becomes meaningless for both sides.
If that does, Denver will rest starters and the spread will drop drastically from +10. Some shops already have this +8.5, so there is a small discrepancy in the market right now. I don’t even hate the Chiefs on the ML at +390, again, because of the potential closing value.”
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos team stats, betting trends
- Kansas City is 8-8 ATS and 1-1 ATS and on the ML as an underdog.
- The Chiefs are 9-7 to the Under and 5-3 to the Under on the road.
- Denver is 11-5 ATS, tied for second-best in the NFL.
- The Broncos are 10-5-1 to the Over, ranking seventh-best.
- Denver is 4-2-1 to the Over as the home team.
- Bo Nix has five touchdowns and one interception in the last two games.
- Cortland Sutton has back-to-back games of 50-plus yards and scored last week.
- Marvin Mims put on a show with two touchdowns and 103 yards on eight receptions and eight targets last week.
- Patrick Mahomes has 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last six games.
- Travis Kelce had double-digit targets for the sixth time this season and caught eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown on Christmas.
Quarterback matchup for Kansas City vs. Denver
Denver: Bo Nix – Nix is likely to be runner-up in NFL Rookie of the Year after a 29 touchdowns (25 passing, 4 rushing) to 12 interceptions season. Nix has 3,454 passing yards and 383 rushing yards to go along with that. If the Steelers beat the Bengals and Nix is ruled out, Jarrett Stidham will get the start.
Kansas City: Carson Wentz - Wentz has only attempted two passes on the season but will get the start against the Broncos. Wentz recorded three total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) in his lone start for the Rams last year (219 total yards).
Broncos and Chiefs injury update
Denver’s OL Luke Wattenberg (ankle) and RB Tyler Badie (back) are questionable, while LB Drew Sanders (achilles) and DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) are out.
Kansas City is likely to rest a majority of its starters in this game, whether it’s after a half or the full game but the implication of the spread.
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