KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After months of anticipation, the 2020 NFL season is finally here. On Thursday night, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football in what will mark the first game of the 2020 NFL season.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2020 NFL Kickoff Game:
Game info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020
Time: 6:20 p.m. MT
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV channel: NBC, 9NEWS (locally)
Live Stream: NBCSports.com
Radio: Sirius XM 225, 226
Betting line: Kansas City -9
Over-under point total: 54.5 points
Key storylines
Watch the Throne
The Chiefs open up the 2020 NFL season following a come from behind victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54. Kansas City's championship possesses the potential to mark a new era in NFL history with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes headlining one of the best — and most explosive — young rosters in the entire NFL.
Coming off an offseason in which he signed a record $503 million extension, Mahomes will look to continue to establish himself as not just the best quarterback in the NFL, but one of the best of all time. Repeating in 2020, however, could prove easier said than done for Kansas City, given the uncertainties teams face amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Strange new world
Speaking of the coronavirus, it goes without saying that Thursday night's opener will look much different than previous years. As a result of the pandemic, Arrowhead Stadium will now only be permitted to host 22 percent of its capacity.
That means that one of the NFL's best homefield advantages will now only include roughly one-fifth of its capacity. Without any preseason games, it will be interesting to see how Thursday night's game looks both aesthetically and from a game quality perspective, in what will mark one of the most unique kickoffs in NFL history.
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