Chiefs vs. Saints 2020: Prediction, Betting Odds, Drew Brees Injury Update

While Sunday's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints is a potential Super Bowl LV preview, one of the contenders has a clear edge over the other. The defending-champion Chiefs are easily the NFL's best team, and they should prove it on the road Sunday against a Saints squad that has looked shaky in back-to-back weeks.

Kansas City is a 3-point favorite in New Orleans, according to the betting odds compiled by OddsShark. The betting total is 51.5.

The Saints’ chances of pulling off the upset might rest on which quarterback gets the start. Drew Brees could potentially be back under center after missing four games with fractured ribs, though Taysom Hill appears likely to start his fifth straight game.

No matter how well New Orleans' defense has played, it's hard to see Hill getting the best of Patrick Mahomes.

Hill is 3-1 as a starter, coming off a Week 14 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for a career-high 291 yards, but he was sacked five times and the Saints were held to 21 points.

New Orleans has failed to score more than 24 points in three of Hill’s starts. The exception was in Week 12 when the Saints faced a Denver Broncos’ team that didn’t have a healthy quarterback on the active roster. Kansas City has the best quarterback in football, and another average offensive performance by the Saints won’t be enough to defeat the reigning champs.

With Mahomes under center, the Chiefs’ offense is the most automatic unit in sports. He has led the Chiefs to fewer than 22 points just once in his career, including the playoffs. Even last week, as Mahomes uncharacteristically threw three interceptions against the Miami Dolphins’ second-ranked scoring defense, Kansas City still managed to score 33 points in a road win over a playoff contender.

Mahomes has few subpar performances. With 33 touchdown passes and five interceptions in 2020, his lowest passer rating in any game this season is 83.5. It came in Kansas City’s only loss, though the Chiefs did score 32 points in that game.

The Saints gave up 37 points earlier this season in a loss to the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers, the NFL's other MVP candidate. Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders beat New Orleans 34-24 in September.

The Chiefs should hit their 22-point baseline, at the very least.

Dating back to 2019, the Chiefs have won 19 of their last 20 games. This season, Kansas City is 3-0 against teams in the current playoff picture, defeating the Dolphins, Tampa Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills without much trouble.

Kansas City's defense made Lamar Jackson look ordinary in a 34-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. The reigning MVP was limited to 83 yards rushing and 97 yards passing, which might suggest that Hill could face a serious challenge. The same fate may even fall on Brees, who may appear rusty after weeks away from the field.

The Saints have won two of their last three games, but looked flat against their weak opponents. In a loss to the Eagles, the Saints managed just 96 yards on the ground. In a tight win over the Falcons, the Saints had 10 penalties.

With their eyes on securing a first-round playoff bye, expect the Chiefs to win the biggest game on the Week 15 schedule.

Prediction: Kansas City over New Orleans, 27-20