Houston Texans (7-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
Sunday, December 7, 8:15 PM
Not only is this one of the best matchups of the week, but it's also one of the most eyebrow-raising.
The Houston Texans match up really well with the Kansas City Chiefs, even playing on the road, because they are good in all of the areas the Chiefs struggle. Especially right now, as the Chiefs are working with a patchwork offensive line and going up against a defense that can completely dominate games.
The Texans have one of the best pass rush duos in the NFL in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. They also have a secondary that can match up with what the Chiefs want to do offensively in terms of getting the ball out quickly and creating yards after the catch.
This is going to have to be a game in which the Kansas City Chiefs win situationally if they want to beat Houston, or else they're going to fall below .500.
The Texans do not run the ball very well at all, which is the primary concern in a game like this. If you want to go on the road and win in the NFL in December, you've got to have some semblance of a running game. The Texans just don't.
Kansas City's running game is middle-of-the-pack in terms of total yards, but they have been good when it comes to moving the chains on the ground and at least averaging a healthy number of yards per carry. Can they run on this Houston front with their patchwork offensive line, however?
Both CJ Stroud and Patrick Mahomes are going to have to flex their ability to make off-script plays in this one. The Chiefs are favored by 3.5 points at home, and as hot as Houston is, you can almost feel Kansas City squeaking this one out from a mile away.
Prediction: Chiefs win 22-19