Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2021 · Week 5

Final

Bills

Buffalo

QB Josh Allen

38·20

Chiefs

Kansas City

QB Patrick Mahomes

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium · outdoors · grass · 76°F · wind 0mph

Closing spread

KC -2.5

Total

57

Model margin

+0.6est.

KC perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Chiefs
  • Bills

How each play moved the game.

Chiefs winsBills wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Billsedge mapChiefs
  • +0.091EPA / play+0.140
  • 47.4%Success rate51.1%
  • +0.164EPA / dropback+0.216
  • -0.048EPA / rush-0.024
  • 8.5%Explosive rate8.3%
  • +1.95CPOE+2.81
  • 47.6%Third-down rate52.1%
  • 62.4%Red-zone TD rate60.0%
  • 2.52Points / drive2.66
  • 1.8%Turnover rate2.0%

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

BUF lead 12–11 since 1999

Meetings average 45.3 points. KC are 9-14 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W9KC @ BUF2128BUF
2024 · playoffsBUF @ KC2932KC
2024 · W11KC @ BUF2130BUF
2023 · playoffsKC @ BUF2724KC
2023 · W14BUF @ KC2017BUF
2022 · W6BUF @ KC2420BUF
2021 · playoffsBUF @ KC3642KC
2020 · playoffsBUF @ KC2438KC

Box score

Individual performances

Bills

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Josh Allen15/2631530

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Josh Allen11595.41
Zack Moss11373.40
Devin Singletary6254.20

Chiefs

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Patrick Mahomes33/5427222

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Patrick Mahomes8617.60
Darrel Williams5275.40
Tyreek Hill11515.00
Clyde Edwards-Helaire7131.90
Jerick McKinnon122.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +2.52.6%4.3%2.9%7.3%7.4%3.0%4.5%2.8%

Positive margins favour Chiefs; negative favour Bills.

Half-point at risk

7.41%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

50.6%

Expected total

45.1est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.12
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+0.58