Week 16 NFL underdog report: Chiefs unlikely dogs in early matchup

Kansas City (32) doesn’t have as many sacks as Houston (45) but could have success against the Texans’ porous offensive line. With the NFL’s third-best run defense, it should be able to stop running back Joe Mixon, who averaged just 1.9 yards per carry for 23 yards last week.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders (+3.5)

Division games can be tough, especially for a team coming off an emotional win like the Eagles last week. After a pair of bad games and a week of having his relationship with wide receiver A.J. Brown dissected by the national media, Hurts responded with 335 total yards and three scores in a 27-13 victory over the Steelers, but can he do it again?

Hurts has had an up-and-down year, and a letdown game against the Commanders remains a real possibility. Philadelphia may have the league’s top defense, but Washington sits just outside the top 10, allowing a respectable 321.8 yards and 22.5 points per game this season.

The Commanders also have the league’s fifth-ranked offense, posting 373.9 yards and 28.3 points per game. Thanks to a failed two-point conversion by the Saints to end last week’s game, the team escaped with a 20-19 victory despite giving up eight sacks on quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Most of the credit belongs to wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had two touchdowns against the Saints and, with 11 touchdowns, trails only the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase (15) for the league lead.

McLaurin had just one catch for 10 yards when the teams met in Week 11. Before that, he had 58 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns in 10 career games against the Eagles.

If the Commanders keep Daniels upright and McLaurin gets back to his old self, Washington has a chance to split the season series against Philadelphia.