THE playoffs are finally here – and there’s an intriguing AFC showdown to get us underway.
Tennessee Titans limped into the post-season following a narrow victory over surprise-package Jacksonville, whilst the Chiefs bookended their regular season with winning runs at the beginning and end.
Alex Smith and Co burst out of the blocks and were cruising, but suffered six defeats in seven games during the mid-season – before a late rally saw them sneak into the Wildcard round.
This pair met back in September during pre-season, where the Chiefs ran out emphatic 30-6 winners.
What time is kick-off?
THINGS get underway at 9.25pm on Saturday, January 6.
The Chiefs have home advantage at their notoriously noisy Arrowhead Stadium.
Which channel is it on?
YOU can catch live coverage of the game in the UK on Sky Sports Action and Main Event.
Coverage starts at 9pm.
Alternatively,you can watch the match on Game Pass – where you can stream full HD coverage from your browser.
HOW TO WATCH THE PLAY-OFFS
You can watch the NFL playoffs on Sky this year as they’ll be broadcasting all the games live. You can become a subscriber here.
If you don’t want to sign up for Sky, you can watch the playoffs on NowTV with their Sky Sports pass starting from £6.99.
You can also sign up for NFL Game Pass’ playoff subscription which will let you watch all the games, including the Super Bowl, live and on demand
How did they get here?
BOTH teams have had a rocky season full of peaks and troughs.
NFL rushing champion Kareem Hunt’s drop in form coincided with the Chiefs losing run, which saw them slip from 5-0 to 6-6 in a horror mid-season where they somehow lost to the Jets and Giants.
But a four-game winning run ended the regular campaign and secured a wildcard berth on home soil.
The Titans were 8-4 after Week 13 and tied with eventual AFC South winners Jacksonville – but dropped off emphatically with three straight defeats.
Needing to beat the Jags in Week 17, they limped to a 15-10 victory to set up this showdown, finishing the season 9-7.
Who are the inactives?
DEMARCO MURRAY is ruled out in the Titans backfield – leaving the door open for the exciting Derrick Henry to take the majority of touches.
Apart from the starting back, Tennnessee are in good shape and only Brice McCain was limited during the week.
For the Chiefs, DB Philip Gaines is out with an elbow injury, but Albert Wilson is active despite a hamstring issue.
Kansas City will go with only two running backs after ruling C.J. Spiller inactive. Kareem Hunt and Charcandrick West will carry the load.
What are the latest odds?
ON home soil and back in form, the Chiefs are huge favourites for this one.
At Sun Bets, you can get 2/9 on a home triumph, whilst the Titans are a whopping 10/3.
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