The Kansas City Chiefs are hosting the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs! The Texans are coming off a big-time win last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, 32-12. Conversely, the Chiefs were the number one seed and had a bye week during the Wild Card round. These teams are familiar since they just played each other three weeks ago. Can the Houston Texans march into Arrowhead and dethrone the back-to-back Super Bowl champions or will the Kansas City Chiefs storm past Houston and advance to their 6th straight AFC Championship?
Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| Houston Texans | +7.5 (-105) | Over 42.5 (-105) | +350 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -7.5 (-115) | Under 42.5 (-115) | -450 |
| **Odds Subject to Change** | |||
Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs Match Details
- Fixture: Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
- Date and Time: January 18th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM EST
Key Stats
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are coming off a dominating second half to cruise past the Los Angeles Chargers, 32-12. CJ Stroud was solid in the win. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 282 yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception. Stroud also pitched in 42 rushing yards on 6 carries. Nico Collins was fantastic in this game and has been dominant with Stroud.
Collins recorded 122 receiving yards on 7 carries and a touchdown in the win. Joe Mixon dominated the 4th quarter with 12 carries for 67 yards and a rushing touchdown. Mixon finished the game with 106 yards on 25 carries. This offense showed some performance in the second half.
Defensively, Houston put on a masterclass after the first quarter. They held the Chargers to 3/11 on 3rd down, 4 sacks, and 5 total turnovers. If there is one thing this Texan team can hang their hat on defensively, it’s rushing the passer. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter were making Justin Herbert‘s life rough in this game.
Considering who the Chargers’ offensive tackles are, that was impressive. They will have their hands full this week. We know how elusive Patrick Mahomes can be inside and outside the pocket. Three weeks ago when these teams played, this defense sacked Mahomes once. That cannot happen if they want to have a chance in this game.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a bye week because they were the number one seed in the AFC. The last time this offense played all their starters, they were dominant. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10, a win that would lock up the number one seed. Patrick Mahomes from a number standpoint had a down year, yet they still finished 15-2.
We have seen this team “turn it on” when they need it and this game will be no different. We just saw these teams play three weeks ago and the offense was clicking. If this team can play a clean game, they will have a great spot to make their 6th straight AFC Championship game.
This KC defense has been great all season long. They are ranked 4th in points allowed per game, 18th in passing yards allowed per game, 8th in rushing yards allowed per game, 5th in offensive touchdowns allowed, 18th in sacks, and 14th in takeaways per game. In terms of injuries, Trent McDuffie, Chamarri Conner, Chris Jones, Jaylen Watson, and Isiah Pacheco are all listed. With this team closing in on the NFL’s first three-peat, they are primed to win this game and advance. We can’t say enough about how this team has a championship pedigree.
Prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to beat the Houston Texans and cover the 7.5-point spread in this game. The last time these two teams played, the Chiefs won 27-19. This is a bad matchup for a team that is hobbled on offense. Without Tank Dell, the Texans’ offense hasn’t been the same.
We have seen what the Chiefs do in the playoffs and how dominant Andy Reid is with extra time to prepare. I don’t see the Texans keeping up offensively and benefiting from 5 turnovers like they did last week. Kansas City’s defense dominates this game and cruises to a double-digit win, advancing to the AFC Championship.
