Tennessee is one of a whopping eight clubs to make the playoffs that didn’t last year. The Titans were the AFC’s top wild-card team in their first postseason trip since 2008. Kansas City is the conference’s fourth seed as it repeated as AFC West champion – the first time in franchise history it has won a division title in back-to-back years. It’s Kansas City’s third straight season in the playoffs overall. It hasn’t won a home postseason game since following the 1993 season.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Titans have won the past two meetings with the Chiefs. They played Week 15 of 2016 in Kansas City, and Tennessee pulled off a 19-17 upset. Former Chief Ryan Succop kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired – the Titans outscored the Chiefs 12-0 in the fourth quarter. Tennessee won despite turning it over three times. The weather was a major factor that day at Arrowhead Stadium as it was 1 degree at kickoff with a wind chill of minus-19. It will be reasonably warm for Kansas City on Saturday with high temperatures projected at 41 degrees and a low of 34.

The road team has covered seven of the past eight meetings in this series.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans (9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) were 8-4 at one point and battling for the AFC South title before losing three straight and putting the job of Coach Mike Mularkey in jeopardy. He probably would have been fired if Tennessee hadn’t beaten visiting Jacksonville 15-10 in Week 17 to clinch a wild-card spot. It wasn’t pretty offensively as neither team had even 235 yards, but the Titans forced four Jacksonville turnovers. Marcus Mariota, who has largely regressed this year, threw for a touchdown and led the team with 60 yards rushing. Succop had three field goals. Co-No. 1 running back DeMarco Murray missed the game with an injured right knee. Remains to be seen if he can play here. The Titans are one of the most conservative offences in the NFL as they want to run the ball as much as possible and let Mariota simply manage the game.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City (10-6 SU, 10-6 ATS) was one of the most schizophrenic teams in the league this year. The Chiefs were the last team to lose, starting 5-0. Then they lost six of seven, only to close with four consecutive wins. Coach Andy Reid rested many starters in a meaningless Week 17 win in Denver. However, rookie running back Kareem Hunt did have one carry – and it was good for 35 yards and a TD to give Hunt the NFL rushing title with 1,327 yards. Rams running back Todd Gurley was atop the rushing list entering Week 17, but he was fully rested. Hunt became just the second rookie not drafted in the first round to win a rushing title since 1967. QB Alex Smith, who sat out Week 17, had his best season and led the NFL with a rating of 104.7. Yet his next loss likely will be his final game in a Chiefs uniform as many believe the team will trade him this offseason to make way for 2017 first-round pick Patrick Mahomes.

Titans vs. Chiefs Prediction