Here is who national experts are predicting will win KC Chiefs-Denver Broncos game
On Saturday, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will look to continue a winning streak in the state of Colorado.
Mahomes will make his fifth career start in Denver, and the Chiefs won the previous four games in the Mile High City. Mahomes has started four games on the road against the other AFC foes: Chargers and Raiders.
But because he made his first NFL start in Denver in 2017, this will be Mahomes’ first chance to go 5-0 on the road against one franchise.
These 64 pundits think that will happen. Here is what they’re saying about the game, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on KMBC (Ch. 9) and ESPN.
The Chiefs will cover a 10-point line, says the New York Times’ Emmanuel Morgan.Here is a snippet from his story: “Kansas City, having already blown out Denver earlier in the season, can do its part, especially with the Broncos’ quarterback position uncertain.”
A 36-17 Chiefs win is the prediction from Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. Here is a passage from his story: “(Broncos coach Vic) Fangio has never won against Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes has never lost to the Broncos, dating back to the Vance Joseph days. The timing is off here, too: For the first time all season, it’s easy to see that Mahomes and this Chiefs’ offense are back in full flow.”
A 40-17 Chiefs victory is the prediction from Yardbarker’s Chris Mueller. This is from his story: “A win and a Titans loss or tie would give Kansas City the top seed. Otherwise, they’ll have to deal with a dangerous opponent on Wild Card weekend. Denver fought valiantly, particularly after the Von Miller trade, but the Broncos were done in by their lack of dynamic quarterback play. Perhaps Aaron Rodgers might want to play in orange and blue next season? It wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world and would make Denver an instant contender.”
The Chiefs will win, the two ProFootballTalk writers say. Michael David Smith predicted a 34-21 final and wrote: “The Chiefs need a win to stay in contention for the AFC No. 1 seed. They’ll get it against a Broncos team that’s already eliminated.” Mike Florio sees a 35-23 score. He wrote: “The Chiefs need to regain their confidence after a horrible second half in Cincinnati.”
All eight writers for CBS Sports see the Chiefs prevailing: Pete Prisco, Jason LaCanfora, Will Brinson, Jared Dubin, Ryan Wilson, John Breech, Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg. Prisco thinks the Chiefs will win 33-14. He wrote in part: “They are coming off a tough loss to the Bengals, one where the defense let them down. That defense will bounce back here, and the Chiefs offense will have another good day.”
Each of the eight Athletic writers believe the Chiefs will win: Nick Kosmider, Tashan Reed, Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mark Kaboly, Ben Standig, Jay Morrison, Chris Burke and Katherine Terrell. This is part of the Athletic’s story: “Kansas City’s eight-game winning streak couldn’t have ended at a worse time. The Chiefs dropped to 11-5 with a 34-31 loss to the Bengals and no longer control their own destiny to secure home-field advantage and a first-round bye. Joe Burrow outdueled Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City defense gave up more than 400 yards for the third time in five weeks, and the Chiefs are just 4-3 on the road. Andy Reid’s team needs a win and the Titans to lose to earn home-field throughout the playoffs. If the Chiefs lose, they could slide as low as the No. 4 seed considering all current division leaders own the head-to-head tiebreaker.”
A 26-17 Chiefs victory is the call from BJ Ruddell of Pro Football Network.This is a passage from his story: “I believe Denver has no choice but to pound the ball on the ground. The Chiefs’ rush defense is not great, and interestingly, they’ve given up the fourth-most receptions and third-most receiving yards to opposing RBs.”
The Chiefs will prevail 33-20 is the prediction from Bill Bender of the Sporting News. Here is a snippet of his story: “Kansas City can put the pressure on the Titans heading into the early games Sunday. Either way, Patrick Mahomes gets on track against an AFC West division rival.”
The seven writers at USA Today see the Chiefs winning: Jarrett Bell (34-24 final score), Nate Davis (23-13), Jori Epstein (23-19) , Mike Freeman (23-3), Mike Jones (27-18), Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz (30-13) and Lorenzo Reyes (33-18).
All 10 pundits at ESPN think the Chiefs will win: Mike Clay, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Rob Ninkovich, Seth Wickersham, Damien Woody, Emmanuel Acho, Matt Bowen, Domonique Foxworth and Kevin Seifert.
Each of the 10 members of the Dallas Morning-News see the Chiefs winning: Tim Cowlishaw, Michael Gehlken, Dana Larson, Damon Marx, Jean-Jacques Taylor, Newy Scruggs, Kevin Sherrington, Craig Miller, Calvin Watkins and David Moore.
A Chiefs win is the prediction from three Kansas City Star writers: Vahe Gregorian (31-21 final score), Sam McDowell (24-13) and Herbie Teope (35-20).
A Chiefs victory is the call from the two Sky Sports reporters: Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reibold.
A Chiefs victory is the prediction from all five Audacy writers: Jordan Cohn, John Healy, Jesse Pantuosco, Dan Mennella and Tim Kelly.
A Chiefs win is the prediction from the four Athlon Sports writers: Bryan Fischer, Ben Weinrib, Aaron Wilson and Rob Doster.
