The national pick sheets are leaning hard toward Kansas City for Sunday night’s matchup with Indianapolis, and the margin isn’t close. After the Chiefs opened with a 31-10 beatdown of the Broncos on a Monday night that ESPN said drew 23.2 million viewers, the league gets another primetime showcase at Arrowhead Stadium with the Chiefs at 1-0 and the Colts at 0-1.
Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. on KSHB (Ch. 41), and most of the national voices think Kansas City keeps rolling. The Chiefs are the choice for the 11 ESPN experts - Jeremy Fowler, Kalyn Kahler, Moses Moody, Pamela Maldonado, Benjamin Solak, Seth Wickersham, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jason Reid, Dan Graziano and Lindsey Thiry - and they’re also the pick for all eight Sports Illustrated experts: Albert Breer, Conor Orr, Eva Geitheim, Mitch Goldich, Gilberto Manzano, Mike Kadlick, John Pluym and Matt Verderame.
CBS Sports is just as lopsided. All seven of its writers - Pete Prisco, Jared Dubin, John Breech, Tyler Sullivan, Ryan Wilson, Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg - went with Kansas City.
Prisco sees a 27-17 Chiefs win and wrote, “Look for Kenneth Walker III again to key the offense for the Chiefs, but I think the passing game will come alive too. Chiefs take it.”
The Athletic’s eight writers all sided with Kansas City as well: Zach Berman, Chad Graff, Jon Greenberg, Larry Holder, Josh Kendall, Nick Kosmider, Steven Louis Goldstein and Austin Mock. SB Nation followed the same path, with nine writers - Mookie Alexander, David Fucillo, Ricky O’Donnell, Matthew Warren, James Dator, Jared Mueller, Brandon Gowton, R.J. Ochoa and Mark Schofield - expecting a Chiefs victory.
There were a few holdouts. The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi is calling for a 24-23 Colts win, and Chris Bumbaca of USA Today is taking Indianapolis 21-20.
Bleacher Report also had one vote for the Colts, from Brent Sobleski, who wrote: “The Colts were easily one of the biggest disappointments to open the 2026 campaign. Conversely, the Chiefs were among the most impressive.
The selection of Indianapolis for this particular matchup comes across as counterintuitive. At the same time, this setup screams of desperation.
Yes, it’s only Week 2, but the Colts were embarrassed during their home opener. Plus, this coaching staff knows if things don’t turn around quickly, it may not make it through the season.
The Chiefs are going to get everything the Colts have during Sunday Night Football.”
Still, the bulk of the predictions point one way. NBC Sports’ Mike Florio has it 27-10 Kansas City, writing, “The Chiefs are back.
The Colts already have their backs to the wall, after an ugly performance to start the season.” The Arizona Republic’s Jeremy Cluff is also on the Chiefs, 27-20, and said, “The Chiefs will be on a short week for this game after playing on Monday Night Football in NFL Week 1.
It won’t matter.”
Sporting News’ Bill Bender sees a 27-17 Chiefs win, noting, “Jonathan Taylor remains the focal point of the Indianapolis offense. Kansas City escaped with a 23-20 victory against Indianapolis last season.
Is this a trap game?” NFL.com’s five picks for Kansas City came from Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice, Bobby Kownack and Dan Parr, with Parr writing that the Colts’ defense was “gashed for 202 rushing yards and four rushing TDs by Baltimore” and adding, “I’m not sure a week is enough time for him to find a way to slow down a suddenly super-charged Kansas City ground game, led by marquee offseason addition Kenneth Walker III.
Now, the Colts have a strong rushing attack of their own. Jonathan Taylor ran for nearly 100 yards and two TDs last week, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
The Chiefs appear to be the much better equipped squad when it comes to keeping the opposition’s strength in check.”
The Indianapolis Star’s two writers, Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown, both picked the Chiefs as well.
Erickson has it 38-21, while Brown is looking at 35-27. Brown wrote, “A week ago, this game very much felt like a toss-up, but after seeing how porous the Colts defense performed, along with how strong all around Kansas City played against the AFC finalists of a year ago, it’s just hard to envision Indianapolis pulling this one out.”
USA Today’s five other writers - Jarrett Bell, Nick Brinkerhoff, Nate Davis, Andy Kaufman and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz - also chose Kansas City, as did the five of six Bleacher Report writers besides Sobleski. The Chiefs are the pick from all eight Sports Illustrated experts and all nine SB Nation writers, making the national consensus loud and clear heading into Sunday night.
In Other News...
Arrowhead Opener Comes With A Chiefs Tribute Fans Wont Want To Miss
Sunday night at Arrowhead brings more than a season opener against the Indianapolis Colts. It also comes with the kind of full-game-day atmosphere Chiefs fans have come to expect, from gate opening times and parking plans to the pregame entertainment and the reminder that concessions inside the stadium are cashless. For anyone heading to the building, the schedule is built around making the most of the first home date of the year.
The spotlight, though, will belong in part to Derrick Johnson, who is set to be inducted into the Chiefs Ring of Honor as part of the evenings celebrations. Add in the ticket options for fans still looking to get in and the expected weather for kickoff, and the opener feels like a mix of football and ceremony, with the Chiefs trying to start the year in front of a crowd that will have plenty to take in before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Turn To Familiar Defensive Help As Injuries Test Depth
In the middle of a Week 2 depth check, the Chiefs reached back to familiar names on the practice squad for help against the Indianapolis Colts. Linebacker Cole Christiansen and defensive tackle Marcus Harris were both elevated for the game, giving Kansas City some added insurance at two spots that have already been tested early.
Harris has been called up before when injuries hit the defensive line, while Christiansens promotion helps cover linebacker depth after Cooper McDonalds injury. Fullback Ben VanSumeren was also moved to the active roster, another sign the Chiefs are leaning back into a position that has recently found a place in their plans. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Tight End Battle Is Starting To Put Jared Wiley In A Bind
Jared Wileys Chiefs tenure has already been complicated by injuries, and the early part of this season has only sharpened the pressure around his spot. He was inactive for Week 1 and did not play, while Jake Briningstool handled the third-tight-end role and saw the field, a small but meaningful sign of how Kansas City is sorting through its depth at the position.
For a team that is staring at a possible transition at tight end over the next few seasons, those little shifts matter. Wiley still has time to carve out a role, but the competition is real, Briningstool has been the more available option, and the longer Wiley stays on the sideline, the harder it becomes to make a clear case for where he fits in the Chiefs plans. [Read more 🡒]