AFC West watch: Chargers look to keep playoff hopes alive vs Titans

Austin Ekeler and the Los Angeles Chargers are fighting to get into the NFL Playoffs.

As it stands, the Chargers are currently on the outside looking in. But for all intents and purposes, these are playoff games for LA.

“Technically” the Las Vegas Raiders are still on the bubble, but their loss to the Los Angeles Rams ended any chance of the playoffs.

Here’s a look at this week’s AFC West watch.

Kansas City Chiefs (10-3) vs Houston Texans (1-11-1), 11 a.m. MT, CBS

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs can pretty much coast the rest of the regular season. First up is the horrible Texans.

Andy Reid could legitimately play his backups and KC would win this game.

He won’t since the Chiefs are fighting with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

DraftKings Sportsbook has Kansas City as huge -14.5-point favorites, and rightly so.

New England Patriots (7-6) vs Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), 2:05 p.m. MT, Fox

All Chargers fans are Raiders fans on Sunday.

The team currently ahead of LA? The Patriots.

Of course, the Chargers need to win their game, but a Las Vegas win would definitely help their cause.

Not to mention Josh McDaniels faces his mentor in Bill Belicheck. Advantage New England.

DraftKings Sportsbook, in somewhat of a surprise, has the Raiders as the -1.5-point favorite.

I lean Patriots in this game and think they leave Las Vegas with the win.

Tennessee Titans (7-6) vs Los Angeles Chargers (7-6), 2;25 p.m. MT, CBS

The key to this game is whether the Chargers can stop Derrick Henery.

Evergreen key to the game when it comes to the Titans.

If Henery goes off, LA could be in trouble.

The good news for the Chargers is their getting healthy. Justin Hebert has his allotment of receivers, plus one of the best running backs in Ekeler. How will the Los Angeles offensive line hold up against that Titans front?

As for Tennessee, it currently sits in the lead for the AFC South and needs to keep winning to give it some breathing room.

DraftKings has the Chargers as the -3-point favorite.