Kansas
Broncos aim to dominate Chiefs in Christmas night showdown in Kansas City
Denver (12-3) at Kansas City (6-9)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime Video.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos by 13.
Against the spread: Broncos 6-8-1; Chiefs 5-9-1.
Series record: Chiefs lead 73-58.
Last meeting: Broncos beat Chiefs 22-19 on Nov. 16 in Denver.
Last week: Broncos lost to Jaguars 34-20 in Denver; Chiefs lost to Titans 26-9 in Tennessee.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, left, and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) shake hands after an NFL football game in Denver, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. Credit: AP/Jack Dempsey
Broncos offense: overall (9), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (13).
Broncos defense: overall (4), rush (2), pass (10), scoring (5).
Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (22), pass (9), scoring (20).
Chiefs defense: overall (10), rush (8), pass (12), scoring (4).
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/John Amis
Turnover differential: Broncos minus-4; Chiefs minus-2.
Broncos player to watch
WR Courtland Sutton needs 28 yards receiving to become the first Broncos player with back-to-back 1,000 yards seasons since Emmanuel Sanders (2014-16) and Demaryius Thomas (2012-16).
Chiefs player to watch
QB Chris Oladokun finished out last week’s game against the Titans once Gardner Minshew joined Patrick Mahomes in tearing his ACL in consecutive weeks. Now, the former South Florida, Samford and South Dakota State quarterback — a seventh-round pick in 2022 — could make his first NFL start.
Key matchup
The Chiefs quarterback against the Broncos pass rush, which is the best in the league. They have 63 sacks, or 13 more than the second-place Falcons, and more than double what Kansas City (31) has had this season.
Key injuries
Chiefs: CBs Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin) and WRs Nikko Remigio (knee), Rashee Rice (concussion) and Tyquan Thornton (concussion) missed practice this week. QB Gardner Minshew (torn ACL) went on injured reserve.
Broncos: LB Dre Greenlaw has been dealing with a hamstring injury. WR Pat Bryant (concussion), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Nate Adkins (knee) have also been out. LBs Justin Strnad (foot) and Karene Reid (hamstring) were full participants this week.
Series notes
The Chiefs won 16 consecutive games in the series beginning in November 2015 and ending in October 2023. But since then, the Broncos have won three of the past four, including their matchup earlier this season in Denver. Each of those three wins have come at home for the Broncos; they still have not won in Kansas City since Sept. 17, 2015.
Stats and stuff
Broncos QB Bo Nix is tied for the second-most victories over the first two seasons at his position with 22. … Nix needs one TD pass to become the fourth QB in NFL history with at least 25 in each of his first two seasons. … Two of Nix’s protectors earned their first Pro Bowl starting bids in G Quinn Meinerz and ninth-year veteran T Garett Bolles, who leads the league in pass-blocking efficiency and has yet to allow a sack this season. … WR Courtland Sutton has moved into fifth in Broncos history with 6,226 yards receiving. … Broncos LB Nik Bonitto needs one sack to joins Simon Fletcher as the only players in team history with at least 13 1/2 in back-to-back seasons. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs 46 yards to become the fastest at his position to reach 13,000 in NFL history. Kelce has caught a pass in 189 straight games, the longest streak in Chiefs history and longest active streak in the NFL. … Chiefs K Harrison Butker has missed at least one PAT or FG attempt in eight of their 15 games. Kansas City was 1 for 9 on third down and finished with 133 total yards last week against the Titans. Nearly half of those yards were offset by 10 penalties for 59 yards.
Fantasy tip
Broncos RB R.J Harvey could have a huge day against a beaten-up Kansas City defense, one week after the Titans’ Tony Pollard eclipsed 100 yards against it. The Chiefs offense has been decimated by injuries, which means they could be punting a lot, giving the Broncos the ball for long stretches. And if the game gets out of hand early — a distinct possibility — then it could be Harvey getting fed simply to run out the clock.
Kansas
Where to watch Iowa State vs. Kansas today: College basketball free stream
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The Kansas Jayhawks hosts No. 2 Iowa State Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. The Cyclones are 16-0 this season, but the Jayhawks won’t be an easy out at home, led by star freshman Darryn Peterson.
Iowa State vs. Kansas will air on ESPN, and streams live on DIRECTV (free trial).
What: Men’s college basketball regular season
Who: No. 2 Iowa Cyclones vs. Kansas Jayhawks
When: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026
Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live stream: DIRECTV (free trial), fuboTV (free trial)
Here’s a recent college basketball story via the Associated Press:
WACO, Texas (AP) — Emanuel Sharp scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures for No. 7 Houston, which overcame two extended shooting slumps before halftime in a 77-55 win at Baylor on Saturday. The Cougars set a school record with their 16th consecutive road win.
Joseph Tugler had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double in a row for defending Big 12 champion and national runner-up Houston (15-1, 3-0 Big 12). Isiah Harwell also had 12 points, while true freshmen Chris Cenac had 11 and Kingston Flemings 10.
The Cougars haven’t lost a true road game since at No. 8 Kansas on Feb. 3, 2024. That road winning streak is the longest active run in the country, with all of them Big 12 games for a league record.
Cameron Carr had 18 points for Baylor (10-5, 0-3), and Tounde Yessoufou had 10.
Houston missed 10 shots in a row over a 5 1/2-minute span early, then had another 0-for-10 span in the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half. But the Cougars took control of the game with a 23-3 run in the six minutes between those droughts.
Sharp and Harwell both had two 3-pointers in that big spurt. The Cougars trailed 14-6 before Sharp ignited that run, and a 3 by Harwell put them ahead to stay. The lead was 29-17 after Tugler’s dunk off a Baylor turnover with 6:34 left. That was their last field goal of the half, when they still led 33-26 before a 13-3 run to start the second half.
The Cougars shot 39.2% overall (29 of 74) from the field, with only five turnovers and 23 offensive rebounds. They scored 31 points off 16 turnovers by Baylor, which got 33 fewer shots.
Up next
Houston: Home Tuesday against West Virginia.
Baylor: At Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
Can I bet on the game?
Yes, you can bet on the game from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.
Kansas
Kansas Bird Flu Tops Nation
Kansas is suffering from the worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country, with nearly 414,000 birds affected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
HPAI, an umbrella term for avian influenza that includes highly contagious strains such as H5 and H7, is considered a low public health risk, although it can pass to humans through birds and dairy products from infected cattle, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with sporadic human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers,” according to CDC.
As of Friday, there are four affected commercial flocks and six affected backyard flocks reported in Kansas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Avian influenza kills almost 100% of the birds it infects.
The bulk of the infected birds, about 380,000, in Kansas were reported to be in a commercial operation in Pottawatomie County, USDA reports said.
In a map highlighting outbreaks across the nation, Kansas is the only state showing the most severe reports during the past 30 days. It is followed by Indiana, with about 87,000 birds affected, including two commercial flocks and five backyard flocks.
Kansas has not had a reported instance of avian bird flu in a human, according to CDC records. Since 2024, there have been 74 reported bird flu cases in humans and two deaths.
This year’s outbreak is similar to those during the last few years, said a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
“December and January have been the months when we have seen the highest number of positive cases since this outbreak began in 2022,” said Heather Lansdowne. “The winter of 2023-2024 was more active than this year, both in total cases and in number of birds affected. We are hoping this year follows the trajectory of those years and we begin to see a decline in cases moving forward.”
This year’s outbreak has spread primarily from migrating wild waterfowl, she said. The agency has encouraged poultry farmers and others to protect their birds from contact with migratory birds and their habitats.
“We have been promoting these actions to poultry owners from the start of the outbreak, both in public information and directly through veterinarians, extension agents, 4-H and FFA programs, to poultry owners we have through our systems, etc.,” Lansdowne said.
When the state discovers birds positive for avian flu, they work directly with the business owner to develop a response plan that includes a quarantine and long-term recovery plan, she said.
_ _ _
Story via Kansas Reflector
Kansas
Sheriff: Carfentanil seized during Kansas drug bust
MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A series of recent drug arrests lead to taking methamphetamine and fentanyl off the streets in southeast Kansas.
On January 7, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a maroon Mercury Grand Marquis at the intersection of 10th Street and Walnut Street in Independence, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.
Deputies contacted the driver, identified as Breeanna Conrad of Independence, Kansas, and informed her of the reason for the stop. Deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle. During the search, deputies located more than six (6) grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of cocaine, marijuana, multiple pills, and drug paraphernalia.
Conrad was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections, where she was booked on the following charges:• Distribution of methamphetamine• Possession of cocaine• Possession of marijuana• No proof of vehicle insurance• Improper emerging from an alley, private roadway, or building.
Later on January 3, 2026, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Saturn passenger vehicle at the exit ramp from U.S. 400 to U.S. 75 Highway, north of Sycamore, Kansas. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals. Deputies contacted the driver, identified as Heather Leach of Independence, Kansas, and informed her of the reason for the stop.
Deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle.D uring the search, deputies located more than nine (9) grams of methamphetamine, more than six (6) grams of suspected carfentanil, pills, and drug paraphernalia. Leach, along with Tyler Norton and Noah Daniel, both of Independence, Kansas, were taken into custody.
All three were transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections and booked on the following charges:Heather Leach• Distribution of fentanyl• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of drug paraphernalia• Failure to stop or yield at a stop sign• No proof of vehicle insuranceTyler Norton• Distribution of fentanyl• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of drug paraphernaliaNoah Daniel• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of a depressant• Possession of drug paraphernalia
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