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Shockingly, this AFC matchup features two teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Kansas City Chiefs watched their playoff hopes slip away with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week, and the Tennessee Titans have been out of the postseason race for months.

When the Chiefs travel to Nashville, not only will they not be playing for a playoff spot, but they will be without star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL last weekend. It will be interesting to see how Kansas City comes out after such a deflating loss. Will the Chiefs bring the same level of intensity knowing that their season is effectively over? If Chris Jones and the Kansas City defense are locked it, it could be a long day for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, although that offense has shown signs of life lately.

The Titans followed up a win over the Cleveland Browns with a relatively competitive effort against the San Francisco 49ers. They seem to be improving a bit down the stretch, and this game against the Chiefs will be another test. Kansas City is allowing just 19.1 points and 303.1 yards per game. Tennessee's suddenly hot rushing attack will face a tall task since the Chiefs allow just 99.1 yards per game. On the other side of the ball, Cam Ward played a clean game in San Francisco, and he will have to do the same thing this weekend to bring home a win.

Here is everything you need to know about this AFC matchup.

Where to watch Chiefs vs. Titans live

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 21 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Location: Nissan Stadium -- Nashville, Tennessee
  • TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Chiefs -3, O/U 37.5 (via DraftKings)

Chiefs vs. Titans: Need to know

  • Unfamiliar territory for Chiefs. It's tough to know exactly how the Chiefs will react in this game because they haven't experienced anything like this since 2014. Kansas City has little left to play for, and the team just watched its star quarterback suffer a torn ACL. Bringing energy to what may be a sleepy Nissan Stadium could be a challenge for the Chiefs. If they don't get up for this one, could the Titans spring an upset at home?
  • Pollard on a roll. For much of the season, Tony Pollard languished behind an abysmal Titans offensive line. However, over the last two weeks, Pollard has caught fire. Over that span, he has totaled 265 rushing yards and three touchdowns. If Pollard keeps that going this week, Tennessee could keep this one close. Chris Jones might have something to say about that, though. The Chiefs' top defensive priority has to be shutting down this Titans rushing attack.
  • Kelce chasing Witten. With just a few games left this season, Travis Kelce is chasing down Jason Witten for the second most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history. Kelce needs just 99 yards to pass Witten on that list -- and it's within the realm of possibility he could get there on Sunday. However, Kelce has only hit 99 yards once this season.

Chiefs vs. Titans prediction, pick

Under different circumstances, I would love the Chiefs in this spot. Instead, I'm very wary of taking them against the spread. The atmosphere in Nashville will probably be tamped down, and Kansas City has little left to play for. On top of that, Gardner Minshew will be making his first start since early in the 2024 season. I actually think the Titans could be a live dog in this spot. Pick: Titans +3, Over 37.5