The NFL Divisional Round kicks off with the Kansas City Chiefs making their postseason debut, hosting the Houston Texans.
The Chiefs secured the top spot in the NFC and earned a direct bye to this round, skipping the Wild Card stage.
Meanwhile, the Texans were one of last weekend’s surprises, eliminating the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans Betting Odds and Info
When? | Saturday, January 18 at 4:30 PM ET, 3:30 PM CST, 2:30 PM MT, and 1:30 PM PT |
Where? | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium |
What are the Moneyline Odds for the Chiefs? | 1.21 |
What are the Moneyline Odds for the Texans? | 4.57 |
What is the Over/Under? | 41.5 |
Where can I watch? | NBC / ESPN / Fox Sports / Paramount + / NFL + / Telemundo |
Where can I stream? | NFL Network |
Why Bet on the Chiefs?
The Kansas City Chiefs remain hungry for glory. Winning back-to-back Super Bowls in the last two years wasn’t enough as they’re aiming to become the first team to achieve three consecutive titles and are well on their way.
The Legion of Zoom had a spectacular regular season, finishing with a 15-2 record. One of those losses came in the final week with a roster full of backups, meaning Patrick Mahomes and the starters haven’t played since December 25, giving them more than three weeks of rest.
Having a bye during the Wild Card round can sometimes backfire, as players risk losing their rhythm. However, Andy Reid used this time effectively to recover key injured players like Chris Jones, Isiah Pacheco, Jawaan Taylor, and Jaylen Watson.
The Chiefs started the season slowly but gained momentum as the weeks went by, particularly on offense, while their defense consistently performed at a high level.
Mahomes holds a flawless 6-0 record in the Divisional Round, the most wins without a loss at any stage of the NFL playoffs.
Why Bet on the Texans?
The Texans are one of the biggest surprises in the Divisional Round. Despite winning the AFC South, they weren’t expected to make much noise in the postseason. However, they shocked everyone by eliminating the Los Angeles Chargers with a commanding 32-12 victory in the Wild Card round.
Although the Houston offense wasn’t particularly strong during the regular season, they showed significant improvement against the Chargers. C.J. Stroud completed 22 of 33 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown, while Joe Mixon had 25 rushing attempts for 106 yards and another TD.
The real difference-maker, however, was their defense. Their relentless pressure on the quarterback led to four interceptions of Justin Herbert, who had been intercepted only three times during the entire regular season. They also blocked a punt, returned a failed extra-point attempt, and maintained excellent overall organization. If they can sustain this level of defensive performance, they might have a chance to pull off another upset.
Final Betting Analysis: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
The last time these two teams faced each other was on December 21, 2024, with the Chiefs securing a 27-19 victory. Kansas City has won four consecutive matchups against Houston, including an overtime thriller in 2022 and a memorable Divisional Round game in 2020, where they came back from a 0-24 deficit in the second quarter to win 51-31.
The odds at Gambyl Exchange heavily favor the Kansas City Chiefs, with a Moneyline of 1.25, while the Houston Texans sit at 4.50.
There is always debate about whether skipping the Wild Card round is advantageous, but in the Kansas City Chiefs’ case, it worked in their favor. It allowed them to recover key players and have their full arsenal ready to dominate an inferior opponent. Go for the UNDER.
Look for a win for the Chiefs. If you bet $100 at 1.25, you will gain $25 for a total payout of $125.
Be ready for the 2024 NFL football season with our NFL Betting Guide and follow every NFL football game with our printable NFL schedule; available for download as a spreadsheet, Google Sheet for the entire season or get every week from Week 1 through Week 18 with free picks.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans Betting Pick: Chiefs
-
Gambyl Nation Editorial Team: Author
The Gambyl Nation Editorial team are made up of industry betting professionals and sports fans from across North America, Latin America and South America.
View all posts