- September 16, 2026 12:06 pm
The Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in the final game of Week One of the NFL season. The match is scheduled to kick off at 1:15am BST on Tuesday, September 15, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Main Event. The Broncos are considered slight underdogs despite having ended the Chiefs’ nine-season run of winning the AFC West last term.
Last season, Denver secured victories in both meetings between the two teams, winning 22-19 at home and 20-13 at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl three seasons ago, finished last year with a 6-11 record, their worst since 2009. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is set to play after missing the final three games of last season with a knee injury.
According to Racing Post, the Broncos could feel overlooked given their performance last season compared to the Chiefs, yet they are priced as underdogs. Denver finished the previous season 14-3 and reached the AFC Championship game. Quarterback Bo Nix is reported to be fully recovered from an ankle injury that impacted their playoff run. The addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is expected to enhance Denver’s offensive capabilities.
The previous two encounters between the Broncos and Chiefs produced low-scoring affairs, with total points of 41 and 33. Field goals accounted for a significant portion of these scores, with seven three-pointers in the first game and four in the second. Only three touchdowns were scored in each match.
Both teams ranked in the top ten for yards per game allowed last season, suggesting another defensive battle is likely. Racing Post anticipates no more than four touchdowns being scored in the upcoming fixture. Denver’s quarterback Bo Nix, a mobile player who recorded 356 rushing yards last season, is expected to be a factor, potentially rushing for 15 or more yards, as he did in previous games against the Chargers and Bills.
The current NFL Week One has already seen high scoring, with 750 total points scored across 15 games. According to NBC Sports, if the Broncos and Chiefs game totals 42 points or more, it will break the all-time Week 1 scoring record. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin commented on the trend of increased scoring in the league, attributing it to changes in practice methods, including fewer padded practices and more skill-based drills.
Tomlin also noted that mobile quarterbacks may have an advantage early in the season due to restrictions on tackling them in practice. He suggested that the league’s rules are increasingly tailored to encourage higher scoring games.
Predictions from the Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew offer varied perspectives. Joshua Brisco anticipates potential success if the Chiefs’ young talent is ready, while Jordan Foote views the game as a ‘coin flip’ but leans towards the Chiefs finding a way to win, especially with Mahomes returning. Joshua Schulman acknowledges Arrowhead Stadium’s atmosphere and the Chiefs’ determination to prove last year’s struggles were an anomaly, but expresses concern over the offensive line’s ability to protect Mahomes. Tyler Brown suggests the Chiefs can win despite potential offensive line issues by committing to the run game.
According to bet365, the Chiefs are 5-7 favourites, while the Broncos are 6-5 shots. A three-leg bet builder suggested by Racing Post, including a money-line pick, a match prop bet, and a player prop bet, pays 6-1.
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