Chiefs vs. Colts Spread Prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs have a long history of playoff failures, especially when playing at home. Can they quiet their critics on Saturday when they host the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs?
Game Snapshot
301 Indianapolis Colts at 302 Kansas City Chiefs
4:35 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 12, 2019
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Chiefs are 5-point favorites to beat the Colts. The total, meanwhile, sits at 56.5 points. As of this writing, 56% of the public betting tickets are on the Colts to cover the point spread.
Indianapolis Colts
Eric Ebron (hip) has been removed from the injury report for the Divisional Round. One of the league’s top touchdown scorers in 2018, Ebron will be facing a Chiefs defense that permitted the most tight end fantasy points during the regular season. He’s a no-brainer for all Divisional Round DFS lineups.
Kansas City Chiefs
Sammy Watkins (foot) is expected to play in the Divisional Round against the Colts. It’s the first time Watkins will be available since Week 11. We fully expect him to be limited and return to a timeshare with Demarcus Robinson. Kelvin Benjamin will seemingly be the odd man out on Saturday, with Chris Conley likely starting alongside Tyreek Hill.
NFL Betting Trends
Indianapolis
The Colts are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games and are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games versus an opponent with a winning record.
Kansas City
The Chiefs have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five home games and are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
Prediction
I know Andy Reid has had his failures in the postseason but he’s also never had a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes before (all due respect to Donavan McNabb). There’s a reason why the Chiefs traded up for Mahomes and sent a quality starter in Alex Smith to the Redskins last offseason: Mahomes can do things in the postseason that Smith can’t. This is exactly why the Chiefs went after a signal-caller in Mahomes that could elevate the offense when it matters most, which happens to be now, in the playoffs. The Colts have had a hell of a run but they’re a dome team playing outdoors and will also be traveling for a third straight week. The Chiefs are undervalued here.
NFL Divisional Round Predictions: Kansas City Chiefs -5