KC Chiefs vs. Titans betting line & prediction: A final, meaningless stretch
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs enter final three games without Patrick Mahomes after ACL and LCL surgery.
- Gardner Minshew assumes starting duties; audition for backup role and roster.
- Chiefs will test depth as injuries sideline key players and give youngsters reps.
The Kansas City Chiefs have no chance of making the playoffs, yet they have three games remaining in their 2025 NFL season — kicking it off with a road matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Kansas City dropped to 6-8 with its 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Titans fell to 2-12 with their 37-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
How to watch Chiefs at Titans
Kickoff: 12 p.m. Central
Where: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
TV: CBS (Channel 5 in Kansas City)
Radio: KFNZ (96.5 FM in Kansas City, KNSS 98.7 FM in Wichita)
Betting line: Chiefs -3
Behind the KC-TEN matchup
The leading storyline of this Week 16 matchup between the Chiefs and the Titans has nothing to do with anybody playing in the game.
No — this one is more about who isn’t playing: two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.
In the closing moments of Kansas City’s loss to the Chargers, Mahomes suffered a severe knee injury that required corrective ACL and LCL surgery Monday night. The quarterback now begins his nine-month recovery journey as backup Gardner Minshew takes the helm for the final three games of the season.
“As sick as Gardner is over the whole thing, he also has an opportunity and wants to do well,” head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. “It’s great for him, career-wise, whether it’s here or somewhere else. It’s great for him and gives (Chris) Oladokun reps in there, too, if he were needed.”
Minshew, who last started as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in November 2024, enters this weekend’s game with a 17-29 career record, averaging 3,283 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions per 17 starts. The journeyman quarterback has received opportunities to start for Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Las Vegas during his seven-year career, but none stuck.
The remaining three games of the season could serve as an audition of sorts for Minshew to be retained as the Chiefs’ backup next season — a role that is shaping up to be critical with Mahomes set to miss most of the offseason and possibly some regular-season games.
“It’s an opportunity to step in and do my job,” Minshew said. “... There’s a lot of guys that have put a ton of work into this. I owe it to them. I owe it to this coaching staff, this team, this fan base to go out and do my best to give us the best chance to win.”
He may have to do so with a sorely depleted supporting cast.
Kansas City opened its practice week Wednesday with six players sidelined due to injury: linebacker Leo Chenal (shoulder), cornerback Trent McDuffie (knee), tackle Jaylon Moore (knee), receiver Rashee Rice (concussion), tackle Jawaan Taylor (elbow) and receiver Tyquan Thornton (concussion). Defensive tackle Chris Jones (hamstring) was limited.
In the aftermath of Kansas City’s loss to the Chargers, Jones was fervent in saying the team would finish strong, though there is little incentive to push any player to play through injury at this stage. The final three-game stretch should allow the Chiefs to give their younger, developmental players extended playing time.
It also could be the final three weeks of football in the career of tight end Travis Kelce, who swiftly may have dropped a subtle hint about his retirement on this week’s podcast episode.
With just two victories, the Titans are tied with the Raiders and New York Giants for the league’s worst record. Tennessee comes into the game with the second-worst offense (16.1 points per game), the No. 28 defense (28.3 points allowed) and a league-worst minus-169 point differential.
This hasn’t been the start Tennessee envisioned for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, and as bleak as the Chiefs’ season has suddenly become, that has been the story all year on the other side.
Chiefs-Titans game prediction
This won’t be a pretty game. And while I hate to bring up the uncomfortable, it would benefit the Chiefs to lose out and improve their draft position. They won’t, beginning with this game against the Titans.
Tennessee’s offense will be overmatched against Steve Spagnuolo and the Kansas City defense, and Minshew should be serviceable enough.
Winner: Chiefs 20, Titans 7
Pick to cover: Chiefs
