The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history last week, coming back from down 27 points to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, 31-30. Their reward for such a feat? A date with the No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs.
This is the first time these two teams have faced off in the playoffs, but they did play earlier this season. Kansas City defeated Jacksonville by 10 points, while Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdowns and an interception. The Jaguars were +3 in the turnover battle, yet still lost by double digits. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne better be prepared to score some points this weekend.
Below, we will examine the different betting angles for this matchup. We will provide picks from both CBS Sports and SportsLine experts on this AFC showdown, as well as a few player props that we view as enticing.
All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
TV: NBC | Stream: fuboTV
Odds: Chiefs -8.5, O/U 52.5
Jaguars at Chiefs spread picks
"Laying 8.5 points with a team like Kansas City that did struggle to pull away from clubs this season does seem like a shaky road to go down, but the Chiefs feel like a team that has simply been waiting to flip the switch.
"After the bye, they're beginning another playoff run with Patrick Mahomes, who has been playing at an MVP level to end the year. He has a mismatch against this Jacksonville defense that could see him slice his way up the field. The Jags allowed an NFL-high 6.8 yards per attempt against throws coming out in under 2.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Mahomes led the NFL in EPA per drop with under 2.5 seconds to throw this season. One of his main targets, of course, will be Travis Kelce, who now faces a Jacksonville defense that allowed the third-most receiving yards and third-most yards per reception to tight ends this season. Translation: K.C. should be able to move the football at will.
"Back when these teams met in Week 10, the Chiefs were able to beat the Jaguars by 10 and were even up by 20 at halftime. Two second-half turnovers in that game allowed things to be a bit closer than they actually were. So long as Mahomes keeps the turnovers from getting out of hand this weekend, Kanas City should roll.
"This matchup is also another head-to-head for Andy Reid against one of his former assistants in Doug Pederson. Reid has a stellar record against his coaching tree, which includes a 4-0 record in the playoffs."
CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan is pointing to history as a reason why he's taking the favorites to cover the spread this week in Kansas City. To read his divisional round column, click here.
"I don't think (the Jaguars) are beating the Chiefs. I just don't. But I do think they're gonna hang around. I think offensively, they're going to score points. I think this Chiefs defense has major issues. Block Chris Jones and you're gonna score. Period. End of story. I know it's a big thing to do, but if you block him, you'll score. So I think Jacksonville will score points, I think they'll hang around in the game, but I do think the Chiefs will win. So I'll take the Jaguars AND the Over as two of my best bets in this game."
That's Pete Prisco's take from the Pick Six Podcast, where he, R.J. White and Will Brinson broke down all the games from a gambling perspective and gave out best bets Thursday -- as they do every week. Give it a listen below and subscribe for great NFL content in your feed daily.
"These two teams faced off in Week 10 earlier this season, with the Chiefs winning by 10 points. It was interesting, as the Jaguars were +3 in the turnover battle, yet still lost by double digits. Star tight end Travis Kelce is one of the X factors here, as the best tight end in the game is going up against a defense that struggles to contain versatile tight ends. The Jaguars allowed the third-most receiving yards (1,087) and the third-most yards per reception (13.1) to tight ends this season. The Chiefs have won six straight games vs. the Jaguars, and I have them winning this week as well. Now comes the issue of the spread.
"I feel like we are going to get a backdoor cover one way or another, and this line is the perfect teaser leg. I've gone back and forth on this pick, but I'm going to take the points with the Jaguars. Jacksonville is 5-1 ATS in its last six games, and underdogs went 4-2 ATS on Super Wild Card Weekend -- which honestly was shocking." -- CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani, to read his divisional round column, click here.
Jaguars at Chiefs total picks
Before you make any Jaguars vs. Chiefs picks or NFL playoff predictions, you need to check out the latest NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the divisional round of the 2023 NFL playoffs on an incredible 162-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 16-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of this season.
Now, the model has simulated Chiefs vs. Jaguars 10,000 times. We can tell you it's leaning Under the total, but to see all the model has to say, head on over to SportsLine.
"Does this game deserve the highest total on the board this week? That alone makes me want to lean Under. Both the Jaguars and Chiefs are around .500 when it comes to hitting the Over this year, but Kansas City is 6-2 to the Under at home. The lean is to the Under." -- CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani
Player props
Trevor Lawrence passing completions: Over 23.5 (-109). Lawrence has crossed this number in 10 of 18 games played this season. Even after throwing four interceptions in the first half last week, Lawrence completed 28 of 47 passing attempts against the Chargers.
Justin Watson receiving yards: Over 15.5 (-119). This is a flier, but I like fliers. Watson is obviously not a key cog in the Chiefs' offensive machine, but he's one of those guys who can catch a random bomb from time to time. Against the Las Vegas Raiders in the regular-season finale, he caught a 67-yard pass, and against the Denver Broncos in Week 17, he caught a 27-yard pass. Sprinkle some on this.
Jerick McKinnon anytime TD (+113). McKinnon has scored nine touchdowns in the last six contests. At plus money, I'll take it.