Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs Prediction and betting odds

Need-to-know info

• Who: Miami Dolphins @ Kansas City Chiefs
• When: Saturday, Jan 13 at 8pm ET
• Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas, MO
• How to watch: Peacock

Prepare for battle. A battle of two brilliant coaching minds. A battle of two box-office Quarterbacks. And what looks like a battle of the elements in potentially one of the coldest games in Playoffs history. Brrr. Wrap up while we talk you through it.

Where do we start? Patrick Mahomes, obvs. The future Hall of Famer has an 11-3 record in the Playoffs and although this season hasn’t seen the Chiefs at their best, you can’t write them off with this man under center.

It’s been a frustrating year for Mahomes who has seen a number of his receivers fail to make crucial catches. One breakout star though was Rashee Rice, finishing just 62 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. With seven touchdowns too, the rookie pass-catcher has become one of Mahomes’ favorite options.

But it’s still Travis Kelce that has Mahomes’ heart. Despite his run of seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons coming to an end, the Tight End has still been the security blanket in this Chiefs offense. Number 87 has of course made headlines for more than his football this year, but let’s move Swiftly on…

So, to the Week 9 meeting in Germany. Chiefs were the ‘home’ team in this International Series matchup and got the job done, winning 21-14 as the two fought it out in Frankfurt. One of too many examples of the Dolphins underwhelming against stronger opposition.

Miami didn’t beat a team with a record above .500 until toppling the Cowboys in Week 16. They followed up with an embarrassing loss to the Ravens, before letting the division slip away against the Bills. But just look at the firepower.

Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards, ex-Chief Tyreek Hill led the league in receiving yards, Raheem Mostert scored the most touchdowns. And De’Von Achane was a rookie sensation, joining forces with the veteran RB to create one of the most lethal one-two punches in the league. It’s scary. When it works.

Kansas City Chiefs locked up the AFC West with time to spare, which meant a rest for a number of their starters in the regular season finale – but they couldn’t protect everyone.

Left Tackle Wanya Morris faces a race against time after going into concussion protocol, but that itch should be scratched by the return of Donovan Smith – the OT has missed the past five games with a neck injury.

For the Dolphins, Mike McDaniels is optimistic that two of his biggest weapons will be back for the postseason clash. Touchdown machine Raheem Mostert and the electrifying Jaylen Waddle are key to this Dolphins offense, and they were undoubtedly missed during the final-day defeat to Buffalo.

Starting linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jerome Baker were injured against the Bills and are unlikely to feature again this year, while Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard is also expected to be out.

Season Record

Miami Dolphins: 11-6 (2nd in the AFC East)

Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6 (1st in the AFC West)

Previous Meeting

Chiefs 21-14 Dolphins (Week 9)

International Series: Frankfurt, Germany

Final Five

Dolphins: LWWLL

Chiefs: LWLWW

Chiefs. Dolphins. Kansas. Miami. Ah man, we don’t know!

Andy Reid played down the weather conditions having an impact, saying it’s not a snowball fight. Which is kind of a shame. Mahomes vs Tua would be quite something.

But we think it plays a part – and we’re rolling with a win for the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami’s players know what cold is, don’t get us wrong. And records are there to be broken. But the Dolphins have lost their last 10 games when the temperature has been below 40 degrees. Including their Wildcard loss to Buffalo last year.

And more importantly, they’ve just not shown up when it counts this season. This isn’t vintage Chiefs, but they’ve earned our trust. The Dolphins haven’t. Yet.

Moneyline: Chiefs (-180)

Spread: Chiefs -3.5 (-110)

Total: Under 44 (-110)