Monday's Top Sports Bets: Broncos-Chiefs on MNF, White Sox-Guardians, and More

Beginning with their embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, things have not gone well for the Kansas City Chiefs . They're hoping the remarkable return of Patrick Mahomes from a serious injury is a sign that positive changes are about to come.

Nine months after suffering a torn ACL, Mahomes will be under center when the Chiefs conclude Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season by hosting the Denver Broncos at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have lost three consecutive meetings against the Broncos and four of the last five following a 16-game winning streak in the all-time series.

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Mahomes was injured in Week 15 of the 2025 campaign, which Kansas City ended with a six-game slide to finish 6-11. It was the Chiefs' first losing record since going 2-14 in 2012, the season before Andy Reid was hired as head coach. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

A two-time NFL MVP, Mahomes missed Kansas City's final three games of 2025, including a 20-13 home loss to the Broncos in Week 17. Denver matched the franchise single-season record for wins (1998) last year as it went 14-3 and ended the Chiefs' nine-year reign as AFC West champions.

Kansas City isn't the only team welcoming back its top quarterback on Monday Night Football as Bo Nix will be back in action for the Broncos. The 26-year-old suffered a broken ankle near the end of Denver's 33-30 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills in last postseason's divisional round and did not play in the club's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

There are 10 games on Monday's MLB schedule, including a battle for first place in the AL Central as the Chicago White Sox (76-73) visit the Cleveland Guardians (76-74) at 6:40 p.m. ET in the opener of their three-game series at Progressive Field. The White Sox have either shared or had sole possession of first place in the division since July 4 and enter this showdown with a half-game lead over the Guardians, who occupy the third wild card spot in the AL. Chicago has lost 10 of its last 14 overall contests but is 6-4 in the season series.

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The Toronto Blue Jays (75-75) continue their chase for a playoff berth when they kick off a three-game set at Rogers Centre against the visiting Detroit Tigers (70-79) at 7:07 p.m. ET. The reigning AL champions Blue Jays, who won two of three at Detroit earlier this season, are one game behind Cleveland for the third wild card while the Tigers have four straight and six of their last eight but trail the Guardians by 5.5 games.

Two aspiring postseason teams in the NL collide as the Chicago Cubs (83-67) host the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves (88-62) at 7:40 p.m. in the opener of their three-game series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have lost five of their last seven contests but are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies atop the wild card standings. Atlanta, which won two of three against the Cubs at home in May, has a five-game lead over Philadelphia as it seeks its seventh division title in nine years.

The club in the third NL wild card spot is the San Diego Padres (81-68), who continue their seven-game road trip with the opener of a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies (55-94) at 8:40 p.m. ET at Coors Field in Denver. San Diego enters with a seven-game winning streak and a 2.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the wild card race after having begun its trek with a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The Padres are 8-1 this season against the Rockies, who have lost seven in a row.

The Chiefs are 2-point favorites against the Broncos on Monday Night Football in the latest consensus NFL betting odds. The Guardians are -155  money line betting favorites against the White Sox in the latest consensus MLB betting odds, while the Blue Jays are -137  betting  favorites over the Tigers. The Cubs are -136 to beat the Braves and the Padres are massive -204 favorites against the Rockies at sports betting apps .

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, Sept. 14.  All times Eastern

NFL best bets, where to watch

Broncos at Chiefs

Time:  8:15 p.m. |  Location:  Kansas City |  TV:  ABC/ESPN |  Stream:   Fubo  (Try for free)

SportsLine picks  --    Model : Under 43.5 (-113) | Expert : Travis Kelce Over 39.5 receiving yards (-110, PropBetGuy)

Last season, the Broncos were 14th in the NFL in scoring with an average of 23.6 points while the Chiefs were 21st at 21.3. The AFC West rivals met six times over the last three years and combined for 41 points or fewer in each contest. The SportsLine Projection Model sees that trend continuing in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season as the Under hits in 63% of its simulations. Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce is back for his 13th campaign after finishing with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past three. However, the 36-year-old racked up at least 40 yards in 12 of the 14 games in which Patrick Mahomes was under center last year. SportsLine props expert PropBetGuy (11-3, +800 on his last 14 NFL player prop picks) likes Kelce to reach that mark again in the Chiefs' 2026 season opener, even against a Denver defense that was seventh in the league against the pass (187.2 yards allowed) in 2025.

MLB best bets, where to watch

White Sox at Guardians

Time:  6:40 p.m. |  Location:  Cleveland |  TV:  MLB.TV |  Stream:   Fubo  (Try for free)

SportsLine pick  --    Model : Over 6.5 (-129)

The White Sox are the highest-scoring team in the AL this season with 695 runs. Cleveland is just 12th with 615 runs, but the AL Central rivals have combined for seven or more in each of their last four meetings and eight of 10 this season. The SportsLine Projection Model believes the clubs will keep following that pattern on Monday as its simulations have the Over hitting well over 61% of the time.

Tigers at Blue Jays

Time:  7:07 p.m. |  Location:  Toronto |  TV:  MLB.TV |  Stream:   Fubo  (Try for free)

SportsLine pick  --    Model : Tigers ML (+115)

The Tigers have little chance to reach the postseason, as they need to overtake five teams to claim the third AL wild card, but they enter this series with a four-game winning streak and victories in six of their last eight contests. If they can't get to the playoffs, they'd like nothing more than to spoil the chances of other clubs, beginning with the Blue Jays. Detroit lost two of three at Toronto earlier this season, but one of those defeats came in extra innings. The SportsLine Projection Model feels the Tigers can continue their roll as they win the series opener in 58% of its simulations, and it has given the pick an "A" grade.

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Braves at Cubs

Time:  7:40 p.m. |  Location:  Chicago |  TV:  MLB Network |  Stream:   Fubo  (Try for free)

SportsLine picks  --    Model : Under 9.5 (-113) | Expert : Cubs money line first five innings (-130, Adam Thompson)

The Cubs lead the majors in scoring with 799 runs and the Braves are eighth with 693, but the clubs combined for seven runs or fewer in each of their previous three matchups this season. The SportsLine Projection Model doesn't see a slugfest on Monday as its simulations have the Under hitting well over 56% of the time. Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo Lopez has surrendered at least four runs in three of his last four starts, none of which lasted six innings. SportsLine expert Adam Thompson likes the Cubs to own a lead after five frames in the series opener.

Padres at Rockies

Time:  8:40 p.m. |  Location:  Denver |  TV:  MLB.TV |  Stream:   Fubo  (Try for free)

SportsLine pick  --    Model : Rockies +1.5 (+113)

The Padres are on fire, winning seven straight and eight of nine as they charge toward a wild card berth. Colorado has been the complete opposite, losing seven games in a row and eight of its last nine. However, Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano has pitched well against San Diego this season, going 1-0 while allowing a total of three runs over 11 2/3 innings in two starts. Meanwhile, Padres righty Casey Mize has yielded at least three runs in each of his last four outings and worked more than five innings just once while going 0-2 in that span. The SportsLine Projection Model believes that despite being 1-8 against San Diego this year, the Rockies will put up a good fight Monday as they cover the run line in 54% of its simulations.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/todays-top-games-to-watch-best-bets-odds-broncos-vs-chiefs-on-mnf-white-sox-vs-guardians-and-more/)._