In this Divisional Round Playoff rematch, the Houston Texans head to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the defending Super-Bowl Champions and Pat Mahomes.
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Preview
24-0. That’s what the score was a year ago in the playoffs. Houston shot out to an early lead, and it looked like once again Mahomes and his crew were going to be sent home before the Super Bowl. We all know how that ended up, with the Chiefs scoring 41 points in an eventual 51-31 victory.
The Houston Texans come into this game looking for revenge. This team has a much different feel to them than a year ago, and much of it has to do with the trading away of DeAndre Hopkins.
Bill O’ Brien sure has a history of making boneheaded trades, but this one might take the cake. He traded one of the best receivers in the NFL away for a 2nd-round pick and a used-up David Johnson. Then, he traded for Brandin Cooks to help alleviate the loss of Hopkins, and signed Randall Cobb in free agency, but he is not doing star quarterback Deshaun Watson any favors.
For the Kansas City Chiefs right now, they’re on top of the world. After winning the Super Bowl last season, the team signed Patrick Mahomes to a record-setting deal: 10 year-$450 million. The 24-year old is locked into Kansas City for the prime years of his career, and they are a good candidate for a potential dynasty.
The weapons around Mahomes are incredible, starting with Tyreek Hill. Hill, the speedy receiver, had a bit of a down season a year ago. Dealing with injuries, he wasn’t as dangerous as the previous seasons, but defenses still must gameplay for him. Travis Kelce is among the top-two tight ends in the NFL, and has become Mahomes’ security blanket. In 2019, Kelce 97 passes for 1,229 yards, and 5 touchdowns.
They didn’t just sit on their hands, either. With the 32nd pick in the NFL Draft, Andy Reid did something for the first time in his coaching career: he picked a running back in the first round with the selection of Clyde Edwards-Helaire from LSU.
Edwards-Helaire should walk into a high-volume role and become an every-down back in a high powered offense thanks to Damian Williams opting-out. A scary offense just got more dangerous, and that should make the rest of the league tremble with fear about the Chiefs fortunes going forward.
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Key Stats
- The Chiefs outscored Houston 51-7 after trailing 24-0 in the Divisional Round
- Deshaun Watson is 1-1 against the Chiefs in the regular season, but 1-0 when matched against Mahomes
- Chiefs rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 1,867 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns last season at LSU
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Betting Lines
- The O/U for the game is 54
- The Chiefs are 9.5 point favorites on Draftkings
- The Chiefs are -455 on the ML, Texans +340
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Spread Prediction
Continuity is key in an offseason like this one especially, and the Chiefs are bringing back the majority of their Super Bowl winning team, and adding some firepower in the process.
The Texans have moved around plenty of pieces, and replaced one of their franchise icons, DeAndre Hopkins. The offense still has the weapons to succeed, but it’s very realistic to expect this team to take some time to gel on the offensive side of the ball with a new running back and two new receivers.
I’m not picking against Patrick Mahomes in Week 1. The star quarterback is one of the few players in the NFL that it simply makes no sense betting against. The 9.5 spread is a pretty big one, but when you think about it, they only have to win by 10 points, and finishing their playoff game on a 51-7 run tells me they might not have a problem doing that.
Pick: Chiefs -9.5
