Game: Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs
Date & Time: Sunday January 19th, 2020, 3:05 (EST)
Location: Arrowhead Field, Kansas City, MI
The Line: Kansas City Chiefs -7.5, O/U 52.5
TV Channel: CBS
Will Patrick Mahomes reach his first Super Bowl? Or will Derrick Henry bowl his way into Miami.
NFL Regular Season Record: 60-50-3
NFL Playoff Record: 4-4
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs Preview
The Kansas City Chiefs are one-win from the Super Bowl for the 2nd straight season after their 51-31 victory over the Texans in the Divisional Round. The Chiefs have said all season that their goal is to get to the Super Bowl, and now there is only one obstacle in the way: The Tennessee Titans.
The Titans are one upset away from completing one of the most unlikely playoff runs of all time. After defeating the defending champion Patriots in the Wild Card Round, they backed that up with a dominating 28-12 performance over the 14-2 Ravens. A repeat performance will land them in the Super Bowl.
Hot, Hot, Hot
Dating back to the regular season, these are two of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Chiefs last loss was way back in Week 10 to these same Titans. They’ve played 7 games since, and haven’t lost any.
The Titans started the season 2-4, and it was rapidly approaching a lost season. Inserting QB Ryan Tannehill has changed their season, as they have gone 9-3 with him at the helm. Tennessee has won 3 straight games against playoff opponents to keep their season alive.
Don’t Blink
Within minutes of the Chiefs AFC Divisional Round game against the Texans, disaster struck. Nearing the end of the 1st Quarter, the Chiefs were down 24-0, with their season on the brink. There Patrick Mahomes was, trotting along the sidelines rallying the troops like a leader.
Within 15 minutes of gametime, the script flipped. The Chiefs turned the deficit into a 28-24 halftime advantage, and went on to score 41 straight points, and touchdowns on 7 straight drives.
Don’t blink, you might miss the Chiefs scoring another touchdown.
Titans Trouble
In his career, Andy Reid hasn’t had any success in figuring out the Titans. He is 1-8 against them in his career, including this year’s 35-32 loss in Week 10. Reid is one of 8 coaches with over 200 career wins, but his last win against Tennessee came in 2013.
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs Betting Lines
- The O/U for the game is 52.5
- The Chiefs are 7.5 point favorites on Draftkings
- The Chiefs are -345 on the ML, Titans +290
AFC Championship Pick
The key to the game for Kansas City will be one thing: Can they stop Derrick Henry. Henry has had no problem running over two of the best defenses in football this postseason, rushing for over 180 yards in each game. If he can have another dominant performance, he might rush Tennessee right into the Super Bowl.
Since their Week 10 loss to this Titans team, the Chiefs haven’t lost. Besides their slow start last week, their offense has been nearing unstoppable levels. 51 points was what they ended up with last week, but without their slow 1st quarter, and taking the foot off the gas late, they may have been able to put up more.
Clock control will be key in this game. When the Titans get an early lead, they sit on the rock with smart play-calling, play-action passing, and Henry runs. The clock wears down, and before you know it, it’s the 4th quarter and the Titans have the lead even though Tannehill has less than 100 yards. That was their formula to this point, and they’ll look to repeat it.
The Chiefs are rightfully favored in this game. It’s in Arrowhead, the Chiefs are on fire, and it’s hard seeing them lose twice to the same team at home. However, I’m not so sure about the spread. Like I said before, the Titans have their game-plan figured out. They eat the clock and play in low-scoring games. Look for them to try and repeat that, and while I have the Chiefs winning, I’ll take 7.5 with the Titans.
