Kansas City Chiefs vs Detroit Lions Match Preview

The NFL’s Sunday Night Football spotlight falls on Arrowhead Stadium this week as the Kansas City Chiefs host the stampeding Detroit Lions in a potential playoff preview. Detroit head to Missouri on the back of a four-game win streak during which they have scored a combined total of 161 points. Lions quarterback Jared Goff leads the league in completion rate and passing touchdowns, with six of his 12 TD tosses having reached the hands of star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Detroit was five-for-five in the red zone not counting kneeldowns to end the game on Sunday and currently rank third in the NFL in both takeaways (nine) and turnover differential (plus-six). Meanwhile, the Chiefs are licking their wounds after a narrow Monday night loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that dropped them to 2-3. Andy Reid’s team have struggled to close out tight games and are winless in one-possession contests this year. Their defence has been vulnerable against the run and prone to costly penalties, while the offence has leaned heavily on Travis Kelce, who remains Patrick Mahomes’ most reliable target.

Tip 1: Detroit Lions +2.5 Spread @ 10/11

The Lions are 4-1 against the spread this season and 4-0 ATS in wins. They’ve dominated weaker defences and shown resilience against stronger ones. This looks like a great opportunity to take the Lions with points against a Kansas City team that have failed to cover as favourites in two of their three outings this season. They are 0-3 in one-score games and don’t seem to match up well against Detroit’s strengths on both sides of the ball. 

The Lions’ seventh-ranked rush attack, which dominated the Cincinnati Bengals last week, should punch holes in the Chiefs’ 21st-ranked run defence and enable Detroit to take control of the clock. The Chiefs’ pass rush has struggled to generate consistent pressure and that could also be a problem if Goff is allowed time in the pocket to hit his playmakers in space. If they execute, the Lions could leave Arrowhead with a statement win and a growing reputation as the NFL’s most complete team.

Tip 2: Amon-Ra St. Brown Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ 5/4

St. Brown has emerged as one of the NFL’s most consistent red zone threats and should find space against a Kansas City secondary that struggled against the Jaguars. Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson was burned on a couple of pinpoint throws during the Jags’ game-winning drive while safety Chamarri Conner also displayed some questionable technique on deep passes. St. Brown, who has scored in three of his last four outings and racked up over 400 receiving yards already this season, could be the man to prosper on Sunday.

Tip 3: Travis Kelce Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ 8/5

Kelce scored in the Chiefs’ 31-27 loss to the Jaguars on Monday and remains Mahomes’ go-to option in clutch situations. He excels against zone coverage due to his ability to adjust his routes to find soft spots in opposition defences, which could be handy given what Dan Campbell said this week. The Lions are down a couple of top cornerbacks for this clash with Terrion Arnold joining long-term casualty DJ Reed on the sidelines after hurting his shoulder against the Bengals. 

Campbell and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard want to play more man coverage than zone but the head coach knows they will need to adjust to avoid their backups being isolated in tough matchups on the outside. Detroit’s defence has been solid but gave up three passing touchdowns to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 and the Bengals last Sunday. Kelce’s route-running and physicality could be too much for the Lions to handle near the goal line.