The first Monday Night Football matchup of the season will feature a high-profile AFC West battle between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes is returning from a torn ACL, while Bo Nix is back after fracturing his ankle during the Broncos’ postseason run. Both teams have deep playoff aspirations and, given how competitive the divisional race is expected to be, this matchup could play a major role in the standings at season’s end.
Looking at the odds, the Chiefs enter as 2.5-point favorites with -130 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Broncos are +110 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 43.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved beyond backing a side or total. Let’s take a look at my top three favorite player props for the opening Monday Night Football matchup.
Broncos vs. Chiefs NFL Player Prop Bets for Monday Night Football
Kenneth Walker III Anytime Touchdown (-125)
After missing the postseason for the first time since 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs have added the reigning Super Bowl MVP and will try to return to the NFL mountaintop. Getting consistent production at the running back position has been a problem for Kansas City for several years, and Kenneth Walker III will provide the most stability the franchise has seen at the position for quite some time.
The former Seahawks star is coming off the first fully healthy season of his career, suiting up for all 17 games in the regular season and playing a vital role in the Super Bowl championship run. Walker ran for 1,027 yards and added 282 through the air, but tallied a career-worst five touchdowns across the 2025 regular season. Zach Charbonnet passed him in the red zone pecking order with 12 touchdowns. Walker had finished with 27 touchdowns across his previous three years in Seattle. In the postseason, the Michigan State product took his game to new heights, leading the NFL with 313 rushing yards, adding 104 receiving yards, and scoring four times across the three playoff wins.
With Charbonnet no longer there to vulture touchdowns, expect Walker to return to being dangerous around the goal line. This is especially true because the Broncos have one of the best pass defenses in football, and Kansas City will want to make life easy for Mahomes in his first game back. Much of the Chiefs’ offense is built on misdirection and play action, so establishing a consistent running attack is vital, and that effort should start in the first week. Expect a clear effort for Walker to get involved in the Chiefs’ attack and see plenty of touches in this matchup. He will be eager to capitalize on an expanded red zone role, and expect this to start with a touchdown in his Kansas City debut.
Courtland Sutton Over 41.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
The Broncos made headlines over the offseason by acquiring star wideout Jaylen Waddle. Expectations are for Waddle to take over as the lead wide receiver in the offense, looking to build off the 5,039 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns he has tallied across the first five seasons of his career in Miami. While Waddle will surely play a major role in the offensive attack, there is still plenty of room for Courtland Sutton to produce.
Sutton is coming off back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons, including earning his first Pro Bowl opportunity last year. He has tallied 25 touchdowns across his past three seasons. Sutton has been at the top of the scouting report for opposing defenses every week, regularly facing double coverage and the top opposing cornerback. Sutton will benefit from sliding down the priority list and will have an easier path to getting open. He will remain a big play threat, coming off a 2025 season in which he was ninth among all wide receivers with receptions of 20 or more yards.
I am buying the dip in Sutton’s prop lines and backing him to record over 41.5 receiving yards in the 2026 season opener. He cleared this bar in 11 of his 17 games last season and piled up 99 yards across a pair of matchups with the Chiefs. Kansas City’s secondary lost some notable talent over the offseason, leaving the door open for Sutton to capitalize on Monday Night Football.
Patrick Mahomes to Record 1+ Interception (+103)
Monday Night Football will be Patrick Mahomes’ first live game action in 274 days. While the ACL tear he suffered put the nail in the coffin for the Chiefs’ last season, the reality is that Kansas City’s season outlook had already slipped away. Mahomes has to take on some of this responsibility, with last year marking the most ineffective season of his career on several levels. Interceptions have become a bigger problem as his career has progressed, and that should remain the case on Monday.
Mahomes served up 11 interceptions in just 14 games last season, getting picked off against the Broncos in Week 11. He has thrown 11 or more interceptions in five straight seasons, with 61 over that stretch. Denver has one of the best secondaries in football, finishing last season with 10 picks and truly coming into their own as the season progressed. They forced two interceptions off of Josh Allen in last year’s playoffs and five turnovers in total.
While the addition of Kenneth Walker III will add a new element on the ground, the identity of the Chiefs’ offense will still be built upon the two-time MVP. He threw the ball 45 times in last year’s matchup with the Broncos, and if he is forced into this volume of opportunities, the interception chances should be there. Attempting to shake off some rust against one of the best defenses in football, Mahomes should cough up at least one pick in Monday’s divisional matchup.
