The Sports Wire

Patriots at Chiefs

Prediction updated
Patriots at Chiefs · Week 15 · Mon, Dec 21 · 7:15 PM CT · ESPN and ABC

Our call: ChiefsToss-up

3 of 4 models favor the Chiefs.

On average the models have the Chiefs by 0.8 points, a 52% win chance.

Early prediction, updates weekly until kickoff.

Data through Week 5's games (the last played Mon, Oct 12), from nflverse play-by-play; nflverse last published it .

New England Patriots (3–2) at Kansas City Chiefs (4–0) Mon, Dec 21, 2026 Kickoff 7:15 PM CT on ESPN and ABC Kansas City

TV listings: ESPN

Every model

ModelSaysWin chance
Consensus (our call)The average of Our model, Elo, SRS and ESPN FPI (whichever are there); the market is left out. This is our call.Chiefs by 0.852%
Our model ExperimentalOur ratings from nflverse play-by-play: opponent-adjusted EPA per play, home field and the starting quarterback, frozen on the 2024 season and tested once on 2025. Experimental.Chiefs by 1.555%
EloEvery team's Elo rating from every game since 1999 (FiveThirtyEight's method).Even50%
SRSSimple Rating System: points scored minus allowed, adjusted for the schedule, blended with last season early on. Settings chosen by hand, not tuned.Chiefs by 0.953%
ESPN FPIESPN's Football Power Index matchup predictor, read from ESPN before kickoff. Read in the week of the game.Available game week—
RecordThe team with the better record this season; equal records go to the home team. A winner only.Chiefs—

Our model is experimental. Season so far (79 games, Weeks 1–4 reconstructed): it missed the final margin by 9.8 points on average, the market's margin by 9.8; ours was closer in 38 of 79. Scorecard →

Numbers to know

Starting quarterbacks

Not named yet. The quarterbacks we assume show here in game week: once every earlier game is in, or two days before Week 15's first kickoff.

Injuries

The official Week 15 injury report isn't out yet. It shows here once nflverse has it, in the week of the game.

Latest news

New England Patriots

More Patriots news →

Kansas City Chiefs

More Chiefs news →

Headlines and a line or two from each outlet's own feed, linked to the original; the stories are theirs, not ours.

Matchup

Opponent-adjusted, from nflverse play-by-play, through Week 5 (the games played so far); league rank in brackets.

PatriotsChiefs
Net EPA per play+0.06 (8th)+0.12 (3rd)
Offense, EPA per play+0.04 (12th)+0.11 (4th)
Defense, EPA per play allowed (lower is better)−0.03 (12th)−0.01 (14th)
Passing offense, EPA per dropback+0.14 (10th)+0.15 (8th)
Rushing offense, EPA per run−0.12 (20th)+0.04 (2nd)
Offense success rate45% (13th)47% (5th)

Last 5 meetings

The Chiefs won 3 of the last 5 meetings.

Dec 17, 2023Week 15, 2023Chiefs 27, Patriots 17at New England
Oct 5, 2020Week 4, 2020Chiefs 26, Patriots 10at Kansas City
Dec 8, 2019Week 14, 2019Chiefs 23, Patriots 16at New England
Jan 20, 2019Conference title game, 2018Patriots 37, Chiefs 31at Kansas City
Oct 14, 2018Week 6, 2018Patriots 43, Chiefs 40at New England