The 2017 NFL season officially kicks off tonight when the defending world champion New England Patriots take on the Kansas Chiefs from Gillette Stadium. Yes, football is back and for fans of the game, it is really the most wonderful time of the year!

Brady, Patriots look for their sixth championship

Can anyone stop Tom Brady and the New England Patriots? When the Patriots hit the field Thursday night New England will begin their quest to win back-to-back championships and they are third in four seasons. If that does happen, the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era will clearly be remembered for decades to come as the best era of teams to ever hit the gridiron.

If the Patriots are to capture another title, they will have to do it without one of the best receivers in the game. Julian Edelman, the man who made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history last season in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons won’t be there to help Brady this season. Edelman suffered an ACL tear in his right knee against the Detroit Lions back on August 25 during a Week 3 preseason game. The good news for Brady is that he will have tight end Rob Gronkowski back to go along with a pair of new wideouts in Brandin Cooks and Phillip Dorsett.

As for the Kansas City Chiefs, they could care less about the Patriots and their 2017 challenge. The Chiefs want a ring of their own.

Kansas City is coming off of a 12-4 season and an AFC West title. Unfortunately, the Chiefs lost a heartbreaker at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers 18-16 in the AFC Divisional round last January. The Chiefs have what it takes to make it back to the postseason this season, and a win against the defending champs would be a great start in proving they belong in the conversation of possible teams to win the 2018 Super Bowl.

Live stream, TV coverage, odds & prediction

Tonight’s Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots game can be seen numerous ways. The game will air live nationally on NBC and will also be available via live stream through NFL Game Pass. If you don’t have a subscription to game pass, don’t worry. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Patriots listed as a 9 point favorite, with the over/under number total set at 48.5. While it is hard to pick against New England, the points look tempting here. Patriots win, but the Chiefs are good plus the points. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Pick - Chiefs +9
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