NFL divisional round overreactions
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the divisional round of the NFL playoffs as the championship game matchups are set.
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Chiefs-Bills live: The Chiefs and Bills meet in Kansas City with a trip to Super Bowl 59 on the line. USA TODAY Sports is providing live updates, highlights and more from the matchup.
For the sixth time in the last seven seasons, the AFC’s Super Bowl representative will be decided in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Chiefs have won the last two titles and have a familiar foe in their way to becoming the first three-peat Super Bowl champion in NFL history: the Buffalo Bills. These two teams have become one of the top rivalries in the conference. Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are two of the best at their position in the league and Allen’s an MVP candidate this season.
These two quarterbacks have faced off eight times. Allen’s Bills hold a 4-1 edge in the regular season; Mahomes’ Chiefs hold a 3-0 advantage in the playoffs.
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Those trends could continue or swap as the teams square off with a date against the Philadelphia Eagles or Washington Commanders in Super Bowl 59 on the line. Here’s what to know about this year’s AFC championship game, including betting odds and how to watch the action from Kansas City.
Where to watch Chiefs vs. Bills game today
The Chiefs and Bills will met for the second time this season for the AFC championship game on Sunday. The winner will go on to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
What channel is Chiefs vs. Bills tonight?
CBS owns the broadcast rights to Chiefs vs. Bills and fans can catch the game on their local CBS affiliate on Sunday evening.
Chiefs vs. Bills live stream free
Fans who prefer to stream Chiefs vs. Bills can do so with a subscription to streaming provider Fubo. CBS will also stream the game on its own service, Paramount+.
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Chiefs vs. Bills prediction
For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Chiefs and Bills will meet in the playoffs after facing off in the regular season.
The AFC’s latest intra-conference rivalry has seen Buffalo reign supreme in the regular season but fall short in the playoffs, most recently in the divisional round last season in which the Chiefs won 27-24 in Buffalo. This time around, it’ll be more of the same.
The Bills are a much tougher opponent for the Chiefs than the Texans. Buffalo beat Kansas City in Week 11 of the regular season behind a strong performance by the defense. That unit intercepted Mahomes on Kansas City’s first and final drives on offense. They pressured Mahomes 13 times and got home for two sacks. Kansas City’s offense only managed one play of more than 20 yards, a 31-yard pass from Mahomes to wideout Xavier Worthy.
While the defense stepped up, the offense churned out yards on the ground and through the air. Buffalo averaged 5.2 yards per play on offense and converted 9 of 15 third downs. They sustained drives long enough to keep Mahomes and company off the field without making too many costly errors beyond one Allen interception.
Buffalo’s defense played extremely well against Baltimore in the divisional round. The No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL was held in check. Neither Lamar Jackson nor Derrick Henry had a carry of 20 yards or more. The offense relied on the running game and were able to dictate the line of scrimmage impressively well against what was the best run defense in the NFL during the regular season.
Despite the Ravens out-gaining Buffalo 416 to 273 on offense, three turnovers and some costly drops kept the Bills ahead for good. They can’t rely on their opponent to make those kinds of mistakes again.
Kansas City’s defensive line overwhelmed the Texans offense in the divisional round. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times on 21 pressures. It was a struggle for Houston to get anything going on offense long enough to challenge the Chiefs.
The Chiefs’ front won’t find the same success against the Bills with their offensive line rounding into one of the best groups in the league. But they’re playing at home on the big stage once again and their 3-0 record in the playoffs against the Allen-McDermott Bills looms large.
Buffalo puts up a very, very close fight but a late field goal makes the difference for the Chiefs continuing their quest for the first Super Bowl three-peat in NFL history.
Chiefs vs. Bills odds
The Chiefs are favorites to defeat the Bills in the playoffs once again, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
- Spread: Chiefs (-2)
- Moneyline: Chiefs (-130); Bills (+110)
- Over/under: 47.5
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered for the divisional round.
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Chiefs vs. Bills stats, history
Buffalo and Kansas City have a budding rivalry in recent years but are two of the older franchises in the AFC. The two teams have played each other 56 times in NFL history, starting in the 1960 AFL season when the Chiefs were the Dallas Texans.
Buffalo leads the series all-time with a 30-25-1 record, including 28-21-1 in the regular season. Kansas City holds the edge in the postseason with a 4-2 record. Three of those playoff games came in the last four seasons. Prior to that, the teams hadn’t faced off in the playoffs since the AFC championship game in the 1993 NFL season.
The two teams met in Week 11 of the regular season, with the Bills winning 30-21.
Chiefs vs. Bills play-by-play
You can follow the Chiefs and Bills play-by-play here.
NFL playoff teams
Here’s which teams made the playoffs in each conference this season.
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-2, AFC West winners)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East winners)
- Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners)
- Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South winners)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, wild card No. 1)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2)
- Denver Broncos (10-7, wild card No. 3)
NFC
- Detroit Lions (15-2, NFC North winners)
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East winners)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winners)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC West winners)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-3, wild card No. 1)
- Washington Commanders (12-5, wild card No. 2)
- Green Bay Packers (11-6, wild card No. 3)
NFL playoffs schedule
The NFL playoffs kicked off on Saturday, Jan. 11, and they’ll conclude on Feb. 9 with Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
Wild card round
Saturday, Jan. 11
Sunday, Jan. 12
Monday, Jan. 13
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 18
Sunday, Jan. 19
Conference championship round
All times Eastern
Sunday, Jan. 26
Super Bowl 59
- Date: Feb. 9, 2025
- Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- TV: FOX
