After a long wait thanks to a first-round bye, Kansas City Chiefs playoff football is officially back. Saturday will see the reigning Super Bowl champions host the Houston Texans, a team they recently faced off against less than a month ago. This time around, the stakes are even higher and both sides will duke it out with a spot in the conference title game on the line.

How will the game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew makes its predictions for the divisional round of the postseason.

Joshua Brisco: Against all recent history, I’m picking the Chiefs to do something they never did in the 2024 regular season: score more than 30 points in a game. This isn’t all about the Chiefs’ playoff experience and pursuit of history, either. The offense — with a healthy Hollywood Brown and a well-rested suite of weapons — finally has enough firepower to make fans forget the slow-and-steady offensive slogs of KC’s midseason survival. I find myself becoming more worried aboutJoe Thuney and Mike Caliendo at left tackle and left guard than most, but Thuney should be stable enough to prevent any disasters. With the return of cornerback Jaylen Watson, the Chiefs may also have the league’s best remaining defense.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Texans 13

Jordan Foote: With all due respect to DeMeco Ryans and the Texans, we’ve seen this type of game unfold before. Despite Houston boasting a tremendous defense, Kansas City has the benefit when it comes to quarterback play, coaching, rest and playing environment. Add in a fired-up Travis Kelce and the returns of Watson and Chris Jones, and you’ve got a recipe for a win. I’m rolling with another eight-point Chiefs-Texans margin, albeit with the visitors doing some window-dressing late to make things look closer than they actually were.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Texans 23

Zack Eisen: Between sitting players in the season’s final week and having the bye, it seems like the Chiefs haven’t played in forever. The good news is the extra time allowed them to get a key piece back in Jaylen Watson. The defense was easily one of the best in the league when he was in the lineup, and it would be great to see that version return for the playoffs. On the other side of the ball, it’s playoff Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid. This may be the first time the Chiefs score more than 30 points all season. I expect a dominant performance from this team, as they have been waiting all year to get to the postseason.

Prediction: Chiefs 35, Texans 16

Mark Van Sickle: The Chiefs tend to dominate the divisional round under Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. They are playing an opponent they just beat a few weeks ago and coming off plenty of rest to get ready for this playoff push. The Texans are a solid team and worthy opponent, but there is too much on the line for the Chiefs to lose at home in this spot. The defense will have everyone available to them for the first time all season (Charles Omenihu started the season on injured reserve, then Watson was on it when he came back), and that’s not good for the Texans who have had injury issues all season on offense. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offense will be about as healthy as it’s been all season as well. Look for Mahomes to be Mahomes and the Chiefs to win and actually cover the spread!

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Texans 17

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