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Broncos Heavy Favorites for Christmas Night at Chiefs With Division Clinch in Play

With Mahomes and Minshew out, Kansas City starts first-timer Chris Oladokun.

Overview

  • Denver enters at 12-3 as roughly a 13.5-point favorite, reflecting a lopsided betting consensus.
  • The Broncos can secure the AFC West with a win paired with a Chargers loss or tie, and they remain in the hunt for the AFC’s top seed.
  • Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew are sidelined by knee injuries, putting third-stringer Chris Oladokun in line for his first NFL start.
  • Kansas City’s roster is thinned by injuries, including both starting tackles, its top two cornerbacks (Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson) and its best wide receiver, posing matchup issues against Denver’s Pro Bowl talent such as Courtland Sutton.
  • The game follows the Chiefs’ announcement of a planned $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas with Arrowhead in use through 2031, and AP notes Travis Kelce could be playing his final game at the venue this season pending an offseason decision.