In 2019, "Thursday Night Football" generally features intriguing matchups, even if the quality of play takes a dip as a result of a short week for the participating. That's part of the reason the NFL can continue to get away with forcing teams to play a few days early each week. As long as fans care to scan their TV channels for "Thursday Night Football," the league will give the people what they want.
This week on "Thursday Night Football," the Broncos will host the Chiefs at Mile High in a game scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network. While Kansas City enters Thursday night's game as a three-point favorite over Denver, per Sportsbook Review, the Chiefs are dealing with some key injuries.
WEEK 7 NFL PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread
In addition to the ankle sprain still bothering star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City ruled out Sammy Watkins, Kendall Fuller, Eric Fisher, Chris Jones and Andrew Wylie for the game in Denver due to injuries of their own. This for a team that has lost two straight games and has slipped in Sporting News' power rankings.
That means more than usual will be on Mahomes, who with 2,104 passing yards this season despite his bad ankle is on pace to break the single-season NFL record held by former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (5,477 in 2013). Mahomes also needs just 15 passing yards Thursday night to become the fastest player in NFL history (24 games) to reach 7,500 for his career.
Below is all the info you need to watch "Thursday Night Football" this week, including the TV channel and kickoff time for Chiefs vs. Broncos.
Who plays on Thursday Night Football tonight?
- Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
- Kickoff time: 8:20 p.m. ET
In both our picks against the spread and our straight-up NFL predictions for Week 7, Sporting News has the Chiefs beating the Broncos on Thursday night — but not by much. Below are the explanations.
Pick against the spread: The Chiefs have dropped two consecutive home games. The Broncos have won two straight overall. The hosts have been burned badly by Mahomes magic before, but Vic Fangio's defense will have a few more answers with a revved-up pass rush against a weakened offensive line. The Broncos don't have answers for all of Mahomes' diverse weapons, and the Chiefs will be a little more committed to the run to better set up deep shots to Tyreek Hill. Denver will try a ball-control approach, but Kansas City will make sure to push an opponent out of that mode by hitting on more home runs early. Pick: Chiefs win 27-20 and cover the spread.
Straight-up prediction: If Kansas City comes through as a road favorite in Denver, it will reverse the current trends of both teams. The Chiefs have lost two straight after winning their first four games of the season; the Broncos have won two straight after losing their first four games of the season. The short week is inconvenient for two teams dealing with injuries, including Mahomes' bum ankle, and this is a tough matchup for Kansas City against Denver's fourth-ranked pass defense in terms of yards allowed. However, with Hill back in the mix, Mahomes will find him for a few big plays, and the Chiefs' rushing attack will do just enough in a close game. Pick: Chiefs 24, Broncos 20.
What channel is Thursday Night Football on?
- TV channel (national): NFL Network, Fox
- TV channel (Kansas City): WDAF
- TV channel (Denver): KDVR
- Live stream: Amazon Prime
"Thursday Night Football" broadcast rights in 2019 are shared between Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime.
Thursday night games on Fox this season are called by the network's lead broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink, and rules analyst Mike Pereira.
Andrea Kramer and Hannah Storm are the voices for Amazon Prime's broadcasts.
Thursday Night Football TV schedule for 2019
All "Thursday Night Football" games start at 8:20 p.m. ET.
| Week | Date | Matchup | TV channels |
| 4 | Sept. 26 | Eagles at Packers | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 5 | Oct. 3 | Rams at Seahawks | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | Giants at Patriots | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | Chiefs at Broncos | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Redskins at Vikings | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | 49ers at Cardinals | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Chargers at Raiders | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | Steelers at Browns | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | Colts at Texans | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | Cowboys at Bears | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | Jets at Ravens | Fox, NFLN, Prime, fuboTV |