An AFC showdown is in store for NFL fans when the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1, 2-4 away) take on the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4, 6-2 home) in Week 16. A win for the Chiefs locks up a playoff bid, and a victory for Pittsburgh keeps the Steelers in the playoff hunt with two weeks to go.
Sunday’s kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. EST at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. According to oddsmakers, the Chiefs are a 10-point favorite, and the over-under total is at 45.5 points.
What to Know – Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh knocked off the Titans last week, 19-13, in a close contest between playoff hopefuls. The win was the Steelers’ second in three games, keeping Pittsburgh in the hunt for the postseason after starting the season 1-3.
Pittsburgh’s offense scores 20.8 points per game and averages 331.4 yards of total offense. The Steelers’ defense holds opponents to 23.9 points and 386.2 yards per game.
The Steelers generated just 168 yards of total offense in last week’s win over the Titans. Pittsburgh was the benefactor of four Tennessee turnovers, including three fumbles. Ben Roethlisberger scored the only touchdown for the Steelers on a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter.
The Steelers are 1-5 ATS in their last six wins following a victory and 0-6 over their last six following a win ATS. The under is 6-1-1 in the Steelers’ last eight games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game.
What to Know – Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs would love to lock up a playoff spot with two weeks to go, giving Kansas City two weeks to rest some of its starters before a playoff run. Kansas City could be without offensive weapons Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce due to COVID-19 protocols.
Kansas City averages 27.5 points and 406.3 yards of total offense per game. The Chiefs’ defense holds opponents to 21.1 yards and 377.3 yards of offense.
The Chiefs’ pulled out a thrilling overtime victory over the Chargers last Thursday night, beating Los Angeles 34-28 in extra time. Patrick Mahomes threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns and tied for a team-high 32 yards on the ground. Kelce hauled in ten receptions for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill added 12 catches for 148 yards and a score.
Kansas City is 7-7 ATS this season but 5-0 ATS over their last five games. The under is 6-2 in the previous eight matchups against the Steelers.
The Pick is In
Sunday’s showdown is the season’s first meeting between these two AFC powers. The game has significant playoff implications on the line and a lot of unknown surrounding the health of some of the players on Kansas City’s roster.
Hill has already cleared COVID protocols and is good to go on Sunday. If Kelce can also go, that changes our prediction slightly, but we still see this as a low-scoring contest. The Chiefs’ defense is good enough to keep the Steelers out of the endzone.
Betting Pick: Pittsburgh/Kansas City UNDER 45.5
