Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

 The Kansas City Chiefs, who have reached the AFC Championship in each of the past seven seasons and made the playoffs in 11 consecutive years, now face a real threat of seeing that impressive streak come to a halt.

Sitting at 6-6 and 10th in the AFC, the Chiefs could easily find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture if they stumble again in the final five weeks. This Sunday, they face a tough challenge in the 7-5 Houston Texans, a team anchored by one of the most formidable defenses in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans kick-off time

NFL

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

The Chiefs and the Texans will meet in Week 14 of the NFL season at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, December 7, 2025, starting at 8:20 pm ET or 5:20 pm PT.

Team news & squads

Kansas City Chiefs team news

The mood in Kansas City is uncharacteristically uneasy. After dropping three of their last four, the Chiefs sit at 6-6, four games off the AFC West lead and currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. Heading into Sunday night’s showdown against the surging Houston Texans (7-5), it’s hard to ignore the stakes. If Patrick Mahomes and company stumble again, their postseason hopes may all but vanish.

Kansas City's most recent setback came on Thanksgiving, a 31-28 defeat in Dallas. Mahomes delivered a vintage stat line, four touchdowns and no turnovers, yet it still wasn't enough to outgun Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. The loss pushed the Chiefs down to 10th place in the AFC, now two full games behind the final wild-card berth.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, left tackle Josh Simmons has been ruled out with a wrist injury. Several key players are questionable, including tight end Noah Grey (concussion), right tackle Jawaan Taylor (elbow), right guard Trey Smith (ankle), safety Bryan Cook (ankle), and cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace (back), all leaving their availability uncertain for the critical matchup.

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Houston Texans team news

Houston, meanwhile, comes into Arrowhead red-hot, riding a four-game winning streak and suddenly breathing down the necks of both the Colts and Jaguars in the AFC South race. C.J. Stroud helped the Texans grind out a 20-16 road win at Indianapolis last weekend, leaving them just one game off the division lead and just as close to stealing a playoff spot. A major reason for that surge? A defense that has been lights-out, surrendering more than 19 points only once across its last six outings.

The Houston Texans will be without cornerback Ajani Carter, who has been placed on injured reserve and is ruled out for Sunday's clash. Safety Jaylen Reed is listed as doubtful with an arm injury, while linebacker Jamal Hill is questionable after a hamstring issue.

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Watch and live stream Chiefs vs Texans in the USA

The Chiefs take on the Texans in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live nationally on NBC. Fans can catch the coverage onPeacockandFubo (Try for free today!).

More details on where to watch the game in the United States, including streaming options, will be released soon, so keep an eye out for our dedicated coverage.

Watch and live stream Chiefs vs Texans worldwide

For fans outside the U.S. looking to stay plugged into the action,NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the ultimate ticket. It serves up more than 200 regular-season and playoff matchups, complete Super Bowl coverage, plus access to NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and plenty more to keep you locked in all year long.

To bypass regional restrictions or to access the game if you are travelling abroad, you can watch the action using a Virtual Private Network like ExpressVPN.

How to buy Chiefs vs Texans tickets

Tickets are already up for grabs on StubHub, with entry starting at $386. From there, prices climb through the tiers, $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, and stretching all the way into the premium ranges of $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, and topping out at $10,406 for the best seats in the house.

Check the link below for the full breakdown of how to purchase tickets to NFL games.

READ MORE: NFL 2025 Tickets: Prices, deals, season tickets & membership information

Chiefs vs Texans Fantasy Football

Since Week 9, the Chiefs’ defense has struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks, allowing the sixth-most yards per attempt, the fifth-most passing yards per game, and the fourth-highest success rate per dropback, while generating only the 13th-lowest pressure rate. Against this leaky pass defense, C.J. Stroud presents a strong QB2 option in fantasy, with the potential to flirt with QB1 production.

RB David Marks has been a workhorse since Week 10, operating with an RB2-level workload despite being ranked just RB36 in fantasy points per game. He’s averaging 67.1% of snaps, 18.1 touches, and 67.1 total yards per contest. Among 55 qualifying backs, Marks sits 20th in explosive run rate but 37th in yards after contact per attempt. His matchup this week is brutal, with Kansas City allowing the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game, the 11th-fewest yards after contact per attempt, and ranking ninth in stuff rate, meaning Marks will likely need a touchdown to justify RB2 value.

WR Nico Collins continues to be a top fantasy option despite his recent score coming on a gadget play end-around. He remains a reliable WR1 option moving forward.

Patrick Mahomes II faces a tough challenge against the Texans’ elite defense, which has surrendered just 12.5 points per game to quarterbacks—the NFL’s best mark. Most fantasy analysts are downgrading him to a low-end QB1 for this matchup, expecting a quieter week than usual.

Isaiah Pacheco’s return hasn’t shaken up the backfield hierarchy; last week, James Hunt still led the team with a 63.6% snap share, 15 touches, 70 total yards, and 75% of red zone snaps. Hunt remains a volume-driven flex play, ranking 42nd in missed tackle rate and 27th in yards after contact per attempt. Kansas City’s run defense has been stout, allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game, the fewest missed tackles, the sixth-lowest rushing success rate, and the tenth-fewest yards after contact since Week 9.

Rashee Rice remains one of the most trusted WRs in fantasy this week, widely projected as a top-7 option despite the tough matchup against Houston.

Chiefs vs Texans Game Predictions

The Kansas City Chiefs of 2025 aren’t the same team that dominated last season. Whether it’s the toll of consecutive deep playoff runs or a natural regression after benefiting from favorable late-game bounces in previous years, this iteration of the Chiefs needs to be assessed differently. Their upcoming challenge is a scorching-hot Houston Texans squad that boasts arguably the league's most formidable defense. 

Houston ranks first in opponent EPA, second in defensive DVOA, third in opponent success rate, and fourth in yards allowed per play (4.7). On the other side of the ball, the Texans have hit their rhythm, with C.J. Stroud orchestrating an offense capable of creating serious problems. While Houston may not necessarily leave with a win, it’s hard to envision the Chiefs cruising to a comfortable victory.

Chiefs vs Texans Betting Odds

Spread

Texans +3.5 (-118)

Chiefs -3.5 (-104)

Moneyline

Texans +152

Chiefs -180

Total

OVER 42.5 (-102)

UNDER 42.5 (-120)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

KC

Last 5 matches

HOU

5

Wins

0

Draws

0

Wins

• Kansas City Chiefs

  23

  -

  14

  Houston Texans

• Kansas City Chiefs

  27

  -

  19

  Houston Texans

• Houston Texans

  24

  -

  30

  Kansas City Chiefs

• Kansas City Chiefs

  34

  -

  20

  Houston Texans

• Kansas City Chiefs

  51

  -

  31

  Houston Texans

Useful links

• Commanders 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Broncos 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• How to watch and live stream NFL football for free and without cable
• 2025 fantasy football rankings: Running back (RB) | Wide receiver (WR) | Tight end (TE) | Quarterback (QB)