Chiefs vs Texans: Betting odds, weather, injuries, Patrick Mahomes’ ankle

The Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Houston Texans to Arrowhead Sunday for a matchup of two divisional leaders.

The Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) need to bounce back from their worst performance of the year against the Houston Texans (3-2), who enjoyed their strongest outing of the season last week. Kickoff is at noon Central Time on CBS or you can live stream the game on FuboTV.

Chiefs vs. Texans: Betting Odds and Lines

Surprisingly, the performances last week by both teams does not seem to be reflected much by oddsmakers. The Chiefs are a solid 4 point favorite, which has been dropping all week, despite 66 percent of the money still landing on the Chiefs. The over and under line isn’t much different than it was for the Chiefs and the Colts, despite the results of that game. The over/under sits at 55, according to The Action Network.

This game features two mediocre defense, statistically speaking. The Chiefs rank 17th in most points allowed per game at 22.6, and they have allowed the eighth-most yards, with 393. The Texans are barely better, ranking 19th (22 points per game) and 19th in yards allowed (365.4).

Both can boast of potent offenses, hence the high over/underline. Kansas City is ranked fourth in points per game (29.6), Houston ninth (26.2). The Chiefs are second in the NFL with 444.6 yards a game, and the Texans are ninth with 381.8. This looks like a high scoring affair, but the Texans may have learned something from the Colts about stopping the Chiefs offense.

Chiefs vs. Texans: Weather Forecast

The forecast for Kansas City on Sunday, according to NFLWeather.com, is pretty awesome for fans going to the game. Clear skies and moderate temperatures in the mid-fifties throughout the contest should make this a perfect setting for this clash. Weather should not be a negative factor for either team.

Chiefs Injuries

The injury report is long and ugly for the Kansas City Chiefs. Eric Fisher is out, and defensive lineman Xavier Williams has been placed on the Injury Reserve.

There should be concerns about some critical elements on both sides of the ball. Chris Jones (groin) is doubtful to play, and  Sammy Watkins (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday but hasn’t been ruled out yet.

Anthony Hitchens and Tyreek Hill both practiced on a limited basis. It will be interesting to see if Hill plays, especially with Watkins battling a bad hammy. There is no way the Chiefs push Hill to play unless he is 100% because of his long term value, but Hill has to be itching to return to the field as soon as possible. Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel tweeted Friday that Hill would be a game-time decision.

There is some good news. Andrew Wylie‘s ankle x-rays were negative though he is still listed as questionable.

The best news is that, somehow, Patrick Mahomes is not on the injured list at all. Kansas City fans everywhere gulped loudly when Mahomes limped off the field a few times against the Colts. The question to be answered is if Mahomes will be healthy enough to move out of the pocket. When he was immobile last week, the Chiefs offense struggled (note the season-low 13 points, only 3 in the second half).

Texans Injuries

The Texans come into Kansas City relatively healthy. Kenny Stills remains a question mark, but he is part of a deep, wide receiver corps that includes DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V, and Keke Coutee.

Third-string running back Taiwan Jones is questionable as is backup center Greg Mancz. The Texans certainly have an advantage as far as health goes.

Chiefs vs. Colts: Mahomes and Hill

Fans are eager to Hill back on the field, but the Chiefs are doing the right thing by being patient. They need him fully healthy for the stretch run, but it will help the offense considerably to have him take the double-team pressure off Travis Kelce.

The more significant concern is if Mahomes’ ankle is going to be an issue throughout the season. His ability to roll out was significantly diminished last week once the ankle was injured. Anyone with eyes could see Mahomes seemed stationary in the pocket most of the second. Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict shared some thoughts on Mahomes and his ankle.

Kansas City needs to find a way to keep pass rushers and blitzers off Mahomes. Whether it will entail a scheme change along the line, or maybe better personnel and better overall depth, the Chiefs have to do a better job protecting their star quarterback.

The Kansas City Chiefs need a bounce-back performance and to be worthy of the high expectations set by oddsmakers. The betting line and the over/under still indicate the Chiefs are a force to be reckoned with, and they will figure out what went wrong last week.