The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Denver to take on the Broncos as they look to get back on track after two straight losses.
After a two-win streak, including a 16-0 shutout of the Tennessee Titans, the Denver Broncos are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC West division game. If the Broncos offense can work its magic, they might be able to work over a Chiefs defense that allowed 472 yards this past Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Fans of both teams will be wondering about the health of Patrick Mahomes and the ankle injury he’s been playing through. It has put a slight damper on his play for the last two games, and with the short turnaround time between games this week, many will wonder if it will make a difference in Thursday’s game. If the Broncos’ defense can take advantage, they can pressure Mahomes into making plays resulting in interceptions, fumbles, or even simple three-and-outs.
To counteract, the Chiefs’ offense can’t rely solely on the big plays Mahomes can create. Rather, they need to generate more chances for the running plays to shine. Also, their defense needs to step up and stop Joe Flacco and the rest of the Broncos’ offense from trying to replicate what the offenses for the Colts and Texans did against the Kansas City defense.
Despite being on a two-game winning streak, the 2-4 Broncos will need Flacco to play better than he has. With an average completion rate of 66.33% over the last six games for Flacco, the Chiefs’ defense can still create plays to stop him from finding his comfort zone. Denver’s defense has come up big in the last two games, so expect to see them try to take away the Chiefs’ passing game. You can be sure they’ve looked at the footage from the Chiefs’ last two games to see how the opposition’s game plan worked in their favor and slowed the Chiefs down enough to eke out a victory.
As always, for teams coming into Mile High, the altitude will also play an important role, and will eventually take a toll on the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs have won the last two times they played the Broncos in Denver, and they are on a seven-game win streak overall against the Broncos.
Game Info
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2019
Start Time: 8:20 pm EST
Location: Denver, Colorado
Stadium: Empower Field at Mile High
TV Info: Fox, NFL Network
Betting Odds
Point Spread: KC: -3 (+115) | DEN: +3 (-105)
Moneyline: KC: (-166) | DEN: (+144)
Over/Under: 49 – Over: (+100) | Under: (-120)
Prediction
It will be a hard-fought game, as these division rivals both have something to prove to the rest of the NFL. The Chiefs will be able to sneak out a win if they can keep control of the game and the time clock. They know that Denver has a blueprint on how to beat them. With that blueprint, Denver will succeed in stymieing the Chiefs offense somewhat, but Mahomes will keep them in the game.
Final Score: Chiefs 27, Broncos 24
