The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) visit the Cleveland Browns (3-10). Kansas City is tied with Detroit for the best record in the NFL. They are closing in on clinching the top seed in the AFC. Our Chiefs vs Browns prediction is for favored Kansas City to cover the 4-point spread.
Head-to-head, the Chiefs lead with a record of 15-11-2.
Offshore Odds: Visiting Chiefs are 4-Point Favorites
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | -4 (-110) | -215 | U 43 (-105) |
| Browns | +4 (-110) | +185 | U 43 (-105) |
Kansas City is Hitting Its Stride
Kansas City’s perceived struggles throughout the season made it look like their dynasty was waning. A one-point win over Cincinnati, a two-point win over Denver, a three-point win over Carolina, and consecutive two-point wins over Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers gave ammunition to the naysayers about their viability for a third straight title.
By now, however, they are hitting their stride. Buffalo’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 combined with KC’s win over the Chargers kicked the door open for them to get the crucial first-round bye and a clear path back to the Super Bowl.
They are getting healthy. Three wins in their final four games will secure the top seed no matter what Buffalo or Pittsburgh do.
Isiah Pacheco is back and was a vital cog in the comeback win over the Chargers. Although KC’s last two wins were extraordinarily close, it’s difficult to envision a tight battle against struggling Cleveland given the stakes.
Cleveland Looks Toward the Future
The Browns are difficult to assess. Everything has gone wrong for them since making that ill-fated trade for Deshaun Watson. Even when Watson was healthy, he was unproductive. When Watson had his best seasons with Houston, he ran a spread offense. Head coach Kevin Stefanski’s West Coast offense and Watson were never a fit.
The team has been more productive with Jameis Winston under center. Yet they’re still losing. They were 1-6 with Watson and are 2-4 with Winston. They lit up the scoreboard against one of the league’s better defenses in Denver and lost. Then they were held to 300 yards in their 27-14 loss to Pittsburgh.
GM Andrew Berry and Stefanski received contract extensions in June. The length was not reported, but it’s hard to envision owner Jimmy Haslam III changing coaches under these circumstances.
Cleveland has been weak against the rush, so expect Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to be crucial parts of the Chiefs’ offense.
Chiefs vs Browns Prediction: KC Should Win Going Away
Cleveland has scored two major upsets against playoff teams this season beating Baltimore and Pittsburgh. They kept games against Philadelphia and Denver close. Despite that, they have losing consistently and that will not change against Kansas City. The Chiefs are closing in on the first step to their title defense. They will not let Cleveland stand in the way.
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