The Denver Broncos begin their defense of the AFC West crown Monday night with a trip to Arrowhead Stadium, where the Kansas City Chiefs will try to put a difficult 2025 season behind them. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC.
Denver ended Kansas City’s nine-year reign atop the division last season, finishing 14-3 to earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed while sweeping both meetings with the Chiefs. The Broncos advanced to the AFC Championship Game, but their postseason run took a dramatic turn when Bo Nix fractured his right ankle late in a Divisional Round victory over Buffalo and was unable to play the following week.
Nix is back under center for Week 1 after completing his recovery, and Denver has given its quarterback another major weapon for Year 3. Jaylen Waddle joins Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. in the receiving corps, while J.K. Dobbins returns to the backfield after rushing for 772 yards and averaging 5 yards per carry across nine games last season.
Kansas City, meanwhile, enters the opener in an unfamiliar position. The Chiefs went 6-11 in 2025, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and surrendered control of a division they had owned for nearly a decade. Their season became even more difficult when Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL late in the year.
Mahomes completed his rehabilitation in time for the opener and carries no injury designation into his first game back. He’ll return with Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy among his top targets, while former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III gives Kansas City a new lead option in the backfield after rushing for 1,027 yards in the regular season and taking home Super Bowl MVP honors with Seattle.
The Chiefs will not have their entire offense intact, however. Starting offensive tackle Josh Simmons has been ruled out with a back injury, leaving Kansas City to reshuffle its protection against a Denver defense that led the NFL with 68 sacks last season.
Denver has won three consecutive games in the series, including both matchups during its division-winning 2025 campaign. Now Mahomes and Nix return from significant injuries on the same night as the Broncos and Chiefs begin another AFC West race at Arrowhead.
Broncos vs. Chiefs Odds Today
Kansas City is a slight home favorite for Monday night’s matchup at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:
- Moneyline: Broncos +115, Chiefs -130
- Spread: Broncos +2.5 (-110), Chiefs -2.5 (-110)
- Total: Over 43 (-115), Under 43 (-105)
Referenced odds are subject to change.
Broncos vs. Chiefs Best Bet
Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub provides team trends, streaks and matchup data for every game throughout the NFL season. For Monday night’s AFC West matchup, we’re keeping it simple with Kansas City at home:
Chiefs Moneyline (-130): Kansas City’s recent history as a home favorite against Denver is difficult to ignore. The Chiefs have won nine consecutive games when favored at home against the Broncos, including victories by margins of two, three and six points – which is why taking the moneyline rather than laying the points is so important in this one.
It goes without saying, but the circumstances surrounding this matchup are much different than they were for most of that streak. Denver is now the defending AFC West champion after going 14-3 and sweeping Kansas City last season, while the Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 campaign and Mahomes is playing his first game since tearing his ACL.
But that’s also what makes this such an appealing buy-low opportunity on Kansas City. After years of commanding much larger prices in this matchup, the Chiefs are only slight favorites at Arrowhead, with the line moving closer to a pick’em. It’s a rare chance to back Mahomes at home at a price that reflects just how dramatically perceptions of these two teams shifted last season.
Denver is more than capable of keeping this game tight, and the Broncos have earned that respect after what they accomplished last season. But with the market significantly narrowing the gap between these teams, Mahomes back under center and the Stats Hub trend supporting Kansas City in this specific spot, we’ll buy low on the Chiefs and take the moneyline at -130.
- Best Bet: Chiefs Moneyline (-130)
Betting Splits at Hard Rock Bet
Hard Rock Bet players are fairly split on the moneyline, while the Broncos are the popular side on the spread:
- Moneyline: Kansas City has received 51.9% of all moneyline tickets, but Denver accounts for 52.4% of the handle.
- Spread: Broncos +2.5 is pulling in 60.1% of spread tickets and 64.6% of the money wagered.
- Total: Over 43 has attracted 59% of the bets and 52.7% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for DEN-KC
The reigning Super Bowl MVP leads the way in tonight’s most-bet player props as he makes his debut with the Chiefs:
- Kenneth Walker III – Over 0.5 Anytime Touchdowns
- Jaylen Waddle – Over 0.5 Anytime Touchdowns
- Rashee Rice – Over 0.5 Anytime Touchdowns
- Patrick Mahomes – Over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns
- Bo Nix – Over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns
Broncos vs. Chiefs Game Info
- 📍 Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- 📅 Date: Monday, September 14
- ⏰ Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: ESPN and ABC
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