Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs Preview 1/12/20: Analysis.
2 min read
Date: Sunday, January 12th, 2020
Time: 3:05 PM ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
Coverage: CBS
Betting Line: KC (-9.5) O/U (51.5) Bet Now
Here we go with a rematch of Week 6 in Kansas City, Houston beat the Chiefs, 31-24. Carlos Hyde had a huge game for the Texans, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown, and QB Deshaun Watson rushed for two TDs of his own. If the Chiefs hope to avenge their loss, they are going to have to overcome a plethora of injuries, especially in the secondary.
Nevertheless, this should be a high-powered game featuring a lot of explosive offensive plays that will keep everyone in the stadium on their feet. For odds line movement, and full matchup history, see the Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs Matchup Page.
The Chiefs finished the regular season with the league’s seventh-best scoring defense, up from 24th last season. That said, the Chiefs are 29th in the league in yards per carry allowed (4.9) but are fifth best in net yards per passing attempt allowed ( 5.7).
Mahomes’ numbers (4,031 yards passing, 26 TDs) weren’t as eye-popping as his 2018 MVP campaign, but he was better at protecting the ball, throwing just five interceptions. The Chiefs have held three of their past five opponents under 10 points.
Coming into the 2019-2020 season, the Kansas City Chiefs defense was one of the worst units in the NFL. However this season, they underwent an overhaul by replacing their defensive coordinator with Steve Spagnulo. As a result, they went from the 26th-most efficient defense to the 14th ranked defense, along with the sixth-best passing defense
Since taking over as head coach in 2014, Bill O’ Brien has struggled immensely in the playoffs. Throughout his five playoff games, the Texans offense is only averaging 14.4 points per game. Last week, his offense put up zero points in the first half and only came back into the game due to mistakes made by Bills quarterback, Josh Allen.
This week they will take on a red-hot Chiefs team that is averaging a +18.2 point differential since December 1st. Moreover, Kansas City’s defense is holding opponents to an average of 10.4 points per game. Therefore, the Chiefs should have a relatively easy time defeating the Houston Texans by a sizable margin.
