Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL divisional game
If there is an NFL script, things seem to be going according to plan because fans get another installment of Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes.
This time, it's the Buffalo Bills' (12-6) turn to host the Kansas City Chiefs (12-6) at Highmark Stadium in a divisional round game on Sunday. It's Mahomes' first road playoff game of his career.
The Bills stormed past the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round and the Chiefs handily defeated the Miami Dolphins to get to this point. Both teams played in historically cold weather with Buffalo pushing back their game a day due to a blizzard.
This will be the seventh time Allen and Mahomes face each other in their NFL careers and third playoff matchup. Both quarterbacks have each won three games with the Chiefs claiming victory in both playoff games. Mahomes marched his team to a thrilling overtime victory in the 2021 divisional round after Allen scored a touchdown to take the lead with 13 seconds left on the clock.
Allen hasn't lost to Mahomes since.
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Bills vs. Chiefs odds, moneyline, over/under
The Bills are favorites to defeat the Chiefs, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023, including the new ESPN BET app and the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Spread: Bills (-2.5)
Moneyline: Bills (-145); Chiefs (+120)
Over/under: 45.5
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NFL divisional round odds, predictions and picks
AFC: Ravens vs. Texans | Bills vs. Chiefs
NFC: 49ers vs. Packers | Lions vs. Buccaneers
Lorenzo Reyes: Bills 24, Chiefs 17
Patrick Mahomes has been able to mask a lot of the inefficiencies on Kansas City’s offense, and Buffalo may have some defensive starters facing injuries for this game. So definitely stay up on the injury report as kickoff nears. But, when it comes down to it, Josh Allen — with Joe Brady as the interim offensive coordinator — has been a nightmare to solve. He can test Kansas City’s defense in a way that they haven’t been, since the last time these two faced off, back on Dec. 10.
Tyler Dragon: Chiefs 24, Bills 23
Patrick Mahomes will finally have to play a playoff game on the road. Expect this overblown storyline to motivate Mahomes. The great ones channel narratives into motivation. The Chiefs are 2-0 against the Bills in the playoffs in the Mahomes era. Buffalo has the longest active winning streak in the NFL (six games, including playoffs), but all streaks must come to an end. The Chiefs defense has held opponents under 20 points in three straight games, including containing Miami to just seven points in the wild-card round.
Safid Deen: Bills 30, Chiefs 26
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes will deliver another instant classic, but the Chiefs won’t advance because of their shoddy offense. Allen and the Bills keep their win streak going and beat the Chiefs at home to reach the AFC title game.
Victoria Hernandez: Bills 32, Chiefs 28
Get your popcorn ready. Patrick Mahomes will be energized to prove that he's a winner, road playoff game or not. But the Bills have turned the tables and have more momentum, winning six straight with a streak that started with their regular season win over Kansas City. Overall Buffalo has shown more poise and confidence in their well-rounded game and it translates into Josh Allen's first postseason win over his rival.
Jordan Mendoza: Bills 31, Chiefs 30
Unlike the first matchup earlier this season, I believe both offenses are destined to have big games this time around. After years of having to deal with the Kansas City crowd, Bills Mafia will do all it can to make Patrick Mahomes’ first road playoff game a nightmare. This one goes back and forth in another thriller, but Josh Allen leads the way to a victory over the Chiefs.
You can view the full list of USA TODAY's NFL expert predictions here.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: Playoff predictions, picks and odds
