The first and worst teams in the AFC West are trending in opposite directions, with the Kansas City Chiefs reeling after two straight home losses and the Denver Broncos back on their feet after two straight victories.

Before we reveal why Denver is primed to steal one when these two sides meet for the first time of the 2019 season, let's get you some details on how and when to tune in:

How to watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 17 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver, Colorado)
TV: FOX, NFL Network | Stream: Amazon Prime, fuboTV (Try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App

Preview

Few teams opened the year as well as the Chiefs, who stormed out to a 4-0 start with reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes threatening a repeat bid as the league's top performer. But Kansas City has some legitimate question marks after falling for a second straight time at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 6, with Mahomes nursing a sore ankle behind a sketchy offensive line, pass-happy coach Andy Reid steering clear of a steady ground game and a Chris Jones-less defense surrendering all kinds of big plays. Even with their banged-up depth, however, it's hard to be overly concerned, let alone completely write them off, because of how dynamic Mahomes can be alongside playmakers like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.

The Broncos are essentially the inverse of the Chiefs. They opened the year as one of the NFL's worst, with Vic Fangio's defense struggling to live up to lofty expectations, Von Miller and the vaunted pass rush failing to get pressure and the Joe Flacco-led offense working hard for poor results. Since opening 0-4, however, Fangio's club has rebounded with intensity, edging their rival Chargers on the road in Week 5, then returning home to pummel the Titans in a 16-0 shutout. Flacco remains a mediocre option under center, but Denver's "D" suddenly looks like the real deal -- or at least pretty close to it. That alone should make them a threat to stay alive in the West for a while longer.

Prediction

The initial gut feeling here was to stick with the Chiefs and bank on their rebound. This is Mahomes and Reid and Hill and Kelce and everyone else, after all -- a group that's proven time and again it can go off. Two straight losses also won't sit well with them, and the Broncos aren't exactly as scary as, say, the Texans in terms of opposing offensive firepower.

But you know what? This is a short week, a divisional game, and the Broncos are coming in hot at the front of their defense -- the last thing a banged-up and inconsistent Chiefs line wants to hear. Mahomes is already a little gimpy, and his numbers were noticeably worse after he took another hard hit to his ankle on Sunday. Unless Reid does a 180 and completely recommits to the ground game this week, the Broncos are going to have chances to get after No. 15, and against the Chiefs secondary, Flacco might have a chance to post his best performance of the year.

Pick: Broncos

Check out CBSSports.com for even more predictions on this game and the rest of Week 7, including from Pete Prisco and Will Brinson.

So which teams should you back in Week 7 of the 2019 NFL season? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams win and cover every single game, all from the model that has returned almost $7,000 on its top-rated picks.