Sunday, December 7: High Stakes in NFL Playoff Races, NBA Showdowns, and NHL Contests Highlight a Packed Sports Schedule.

The National Football League’s Week 14 action on Sunday, December 7, features a pivotal prime-time encounter between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs, a game with significant implications for the AFC playoff picture. The Texans, currently riding a four-game winning streak, have propelled themselves into the thick of the postseason race, while the Chiefs find themselves in an uncharacteristic struggle, having lost three of their last four contests. This downturn places Kansas City in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. The Chiefs (6-6) will host the surging Texans (7-5) at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football, seeking to keep their postseason aspirations alive.

Kansas City’s path to a tenth consecutive AFC West title appears increasingly narrow. They currently trail the division-leading Denver Broncos (10-2) by a substantial four-game margin with only five regular-season games remaining. More pressing for the reigning AFC champions is the risk of being spectators during the playoffs, a scenario not witnessed since 2014, when Alex Smith was at quarterback and Patrick Mahomes was completing his freshman season at Texas Tech. The 2025 campaign began with two losses for Kansas City, followed by a seemingly dominant stretch of five wins in six games. However, this momentum faltered, with the team subsequently dropping three of its next four outings, all decided by a single score. Their sole victory in this recent span came in Week 12, a narrow overtime triumph against the Indianapolis Colts following a late rally. As it stands, the Chiefs occupy third place in their division, behind Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4), and are two games adrift of the final wild card spot in the AFC.

Conversely, the Houston Texans have defied expectations, emerging as a formidable contender. Though presently outside the playoff picture, they are just one game back in both the AFC wild card race and the AFC South division standings. The Texans have closed the gap on the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) and the Colts (8-4) in their pursuit of a potential third consecutive division crown. Their recent success includes a three-game winning streak achieved with backup quarterback Davis Mills under center, before the return of C.J. Stroud from a concussion last week. Stroud’s presence was instrumental in the club’s 20-16 victory at Indianapolis. A cornerstone of Houston’s current resurgence has been its defense, which leads the NFL in total defense, allowing a mere 265.7 yards per game, and also ranks first in points allowed, yielding an average of just 16.5 points per contest.

Despite their contrasting recent forms, the Chiefs are listed as 3.5-point favorites against the Texans in the latest consensus NFL odds. Kansas City has historically dominated this matchup, winning the last five meetings, a run that includes two playoff encounters. The Chiefs’ offense, despite recent struggles, ranks ninth in the NFL in scoring, averaging 25.4 points per game. However, the Texans’ league-leading defense presents a significant challenge, having held opponents under 20 points in three consecutive games, five of their last six, and nine overall this season. The SportsLine Projection Model anticipates another strong defensive performance from Houston, with its simulations indicating the Under 41.5 points (-107) hitting in 55% of scenarios. SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall has endorsed the Texans +3.5 (+100) to cover the spread, citing the team’s defensive dominance and Stroud’s healthy return as key factors. The game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET, broadcast on NBC, and available for streaming via Fubo.

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Beyond the gridiron, Sunday’s sports landscape features a robust schedule across the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, alongside a selection of collegiate basketball matchups.

The NBA schedule for Sunday includes seven games, highlighted by a Western Conference clash between the Denver Nuggets (16-6) and the Charlotte Hornets (7-16) at 6 p.m. ET at the Spectrum Center. The Nuggets have commenced their four-game road trip impressively, securing two consecutive victories, including a thrilling 134-133 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Denver has established itself as one of the NBA’s premier road teams this season, boasting a 10-2 record away from home. Their offensive output on the road has been particularly prolific recently, with the team scoring at least 125 points in each of their last four road outings and exceeding 130 points in the most recent three. This high-octane scoring has led to elevated totals in their road games, with all four of Denver’s last four away fixtures featuring over 240 combined points. The Nuggets are installed as 10.5-point favorites against the Hornets. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts this trend to continue, with simulations showing the Over 233.5 points (-114) hitting 60.5% of the time. SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner has identified Charlotte guard Kon Knueppel as a potential contributor to a high-scoring affair, projecting him to exceed 18.5 points (-105). Knueppel is averaging 18.2 points, and Denver is anticipated to be without two key defenders, Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring), which could further facilitate offensive production. The game will be available on NBA League Pass and streamed via Fubo.

The NHL also presents an eight-game slate on Sunday, featuring a Metropolitan Division matchup between the Washington Capitals (17-9-3) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-9-6) at Capital One Arena at 7 p.m. ET. The Capitals enter the contest following a 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on the road, which concluded their six-game winning streak but extended their impressive points streak to seven contests. Washington has demonstrated remarkable consistency, suffering only one regulation loss in their last 12 games, compiling a 9-1-2 record over that period. This run includes a dominant 5-1 home victory over the Blue Jackets earlier in the season, where defenseman Jakob Chychrun contributed two goals. Fellow blue-liner John Carlson also made significant offensive contributions in that game, netting a goal and assisting another, a performance he mirrored in an earlier 5-1 victory at Columbus in October.

The Capitals are favored on the money line at -187 against the Blue Jackets. The SportsLine Projection Model anticipates Washington improving to 3-0-0 against Columbus this season, with the Capitals winning in 66% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Matt Severance, who holds a strong record on NHL spread picks (20-5-4 on his last 29), favors Washington to cover the puck line at -1 (-128). This assessment is informed by Columbus’s challenging schedule, as they are playing on the second night of a back-to-back after a 7-6 overtime loss to Florida on Saturday. Additionally, the Blue Jackets have struggled to generate offense against Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, scoring only twice on 58 shots in the first two meetings between the division rivals. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and available for streaming via Fubo.

Sunday’s college basketball action includes a compelling non-conference matchup between SMU (8-1) and Texas A&M (7-2) at 5 p.m. ET in the Hoop Hype XL College Basketball Showcase, held at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The Mustangs will be eager to rebound after their season-opening eight-game winning streak was snapped by No. 17 Vanderbilt last Wednesday, suffering an 88-69 setback. Head coach Andy Enfield’s squad boasts one of the nation’s most potent offenses, tied for 23rd nationally with an average of 89.4 points per game. Six of their eight victories have been by double-digit margins. Texas A&M enters the contest on a five-game winning streak, having not tasted defeat since an 86-74 loss against UCF on November 14. The Aggies have demonstrated defensive resilience, not allowing more than 87 points in any game this campaign. SMU is a 2.5-point favorite in this matchup, with the SportsLine Projection Model forecasting the Mustangs to return to their winning ways, predicting a victory in 58% of its simulations. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and available for streaming via Fubo.

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