When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
Beginner friendly
Fantastic odds
Bet $20 Win $200 in Free Bets
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
Odds from DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or check out more offers and promo codes for the best online sportsbooks.
Two powerful offensive forces led by star quarterbacks who can do just about everything from under center, including run and elude tackles, so this game will come down to neutralizing the head of each other’s snake, far easier said than done given these two QBs.
Take the points and the Texans – the Chiefs will most likely win this one, but to do that by ten points this early in the season seems highly unlikely, especially given the lack of preseason prep time these teams have been given.
Texans +9 -110
Texans vs Chiefs Information | |
What | Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs |
Where | Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri |
When | Thursday, September 10, 2020; 8:20 PM ET |
How to Watch | NBC |
After months of uncertainty, the 2020 NFL season is officially underway, and the first game of the year is a fun one featuring the Houston Texans traveling north to take on the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both of these franchises had a productive offseason, but whether the players they signed and drafted will get them a win in Week 1 is a good bet to consider, and given the different nature of the NFL during the pandemic, anything could happen.
That’s what makes placing wagers on this first game so interesting, so we take a closer look at the predictions, odds, and picks for this first game of 2020, one that should reveal how the league plans on executing this difficult but necessary season of pro football.
Can anyone stop Mahomes, really? That is the question that most teams couldn’t answer last season, and it will be up to the Texan’s front line to make the difference in this one.
J.J. Watt is a given quarterback hunter, so count on him to put the fear of sack into Mahomes’ head, but Watt will not be able to do it alone.
That’s where defensive end Angelo Blackson and rookie nose tackle Ross Blacklock come in –they will have to figure out a way to take advantage of the double teams that Watt will attract and become their own problem for the elusive and effective Kansas City quarterback.
The Kansas City front office spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the offseason in order to make sure that the same team that won the Super Bowl last season was about the same team as they suit up in 2020 Week 1.
So it comes down to whether the Chiefs can simply play like the Chiefs, which is to blow away their opponents with an unstoppable offense and simply outscore whatever points their defense happens to allow.
That formula earned them a Lombardi Trophy last season – be interesting to see whether virtually the same roster can defy what’s known as the Super Bowl Curse and snag a repeat championship in 2020.
Last season, J.J. Watt was responsible for 4 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, 3 passes defended, a forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 24 tackles, with 4 of those being for a loss.
A Texans win on Thursday will involve Watt having a typically effective game, which means keeping the entire offensive line he faces on their toes since when healthy, he can attack from any angle he chooses.
Watt needs to post at least a sack and two tackles for loss to make a difference in this one.
Mahomes had incredible stats in 2019, including completing 319-of-484 for 4031 yards and 26 TDs with just 5 interceptions.
All Patrick Mahomes has to do to win this Week 1 game is Patrick Mahomes, meaning play like a superstar who can’t be predicted or stopped, so count on he and head coach Andy Reid to prepare something special for Watt and company.
It’s whether or not they can execute their tricky offense with such little prep time that will determine whether they can cover the 9-point spread.
NFL
NFL Offense Rankings 2023: All 32 Teams Evaluated
NFL | 24 May, 2023 | Grant Mitchell
NFL
NFL Defense Rankings 2023: All 32 Teams Evaluated
NFL | 17 May, 2023 | Grant Mitchell
NFL
2023 NFL Schedule: Release Notes, Highlights & Prime Time Matchups
NFL | 11 May, 2023 | Caleb Tallman
Bet $20 Win $200 in Free Bets
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
Mike Lukas is a retired standup comedian turned freelance writer now living in Dallas, Texas, originally from Cleveland, Ohio. His love for the game of football and all things Cleveland Browns turned Mike into a pro blogger years ago. Now Mike enjoys writing about all thirty-two NFL teams, hoping to help football gamblers gain a slight edge in their pursuit of the perfect wager. Email: [email protected]
More info on Mike Lukas
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call
1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-522-4700
(CO,
TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI).
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.