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Entering Week 15, the Kansas City Chiefs will be in an unfamiliar territory for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. Kansas City dropped to 6-7 following a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on "Sunday Night Football" and will need to win out and get help to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since Mahomes took over as the signal caller in 2018.

Kansas City will square off against a familiar AFC West opponent when it hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. This will be a rematch of the league's season opening game, a thrilling game in Brazil that the Chargers won, 27-21.

While the Chiefs are coming off a loss to the Texans, the Chargers are riding high after a 22-19 overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles. After the Chargers kicked a field goal to take the lead in overtime, the defense forced Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw his fourth interception of the game to seal the win.

Here's how to watch this AFC matchup as well as betting information, keys to the game and a prediction.

Where to watch Chiefs vs. Chargers live

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 14 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium -- Kansas City, Missouri
  • TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Chiefs -4.5, O/U 41.5 (via DraftKings)

Chiefs vs. Chargers: Need to know

  • It's a must-win game for Kansas City. With just four games remaining in the regular season, time is running out for Kansas City to qualify for the postseason. The Chiefs have lost four of their last five games and sit two games back of the Texans for the No. 7 seed in the AFC. Kansas City has never missed the postseason in the Mahomes era, and if things don't change quickly down the stretch, it will be its new reality.
  • Omarion Hampton is back for the Chargers. Los Angeles received a major boost to its offense last week when Hampton returned to the lineup. The former first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft hadn't played since Week 5 due to an ankle injury. In his return, Hampton finished with 56 rushing yards and caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring for Los Angeles. Hampton ran for 48 yards in the first meeting against Kansas City.
  • Chargers going for the sweep over Kansas City. The first matchup between these AFC West rivals happened over three months ago in Brazil. To this day, it was one of the best games of the NFL regular season. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns, and a 19-yard scramble on third down allowed his team to run out the clock to secure a win over the reigning AFC champions. If L.A. wins on Sunday, it would mark the first time it swept the season series against Kansas City for the first time since the 2013 campaign.

Chiefs vs. Chargers prediction, pick

The Chiefs enter this week in desperation mode. A loss would make the postseason push much more difficult. Kansas City is 5-2 at home this season. I expect Mahomes to bounce back after throwing three interceptions in his last outing against Houston. The Chiefs need to put up points, and they will. Pick: Chiefs -4.5, Over 41.5