Hunter will be with you soon, in the meantime, here are our writers’ predictions for today’s game (49ers fans might want to stop reading here):
49ers 24-27 Leaders. This is one of those heart-mind choices. The Niners are a better all-around team. The Chiefs have an exceptional defense, but few answers to the specific pressure the Niners’ offense puts on opponents. But they also have the most talented player walking the earth in the game’s most valuable position. This is a Mahomes choice. The Chiefs shouldn’t be here; they are a flawed team, with the worst offensive group Mahomes has worked with during his career. But he’s still Mahomes — and it’s tough to match up against the quarterback who continues his dynastic run. Oliver Connolly
49ers 24-30 Leaders. Purdy plays well, but in the end the Chiefs D get the upper hand. Andreas Laurens
49ers 14-31 Leaders. It would be nice to see the Niners win just because they haven’t claimed a title this century/millennium while the Chiefs are already a modern dynasty. But this won’t be close: the Niners were lucky to get past the Packers and would have lost to the Lions if not for a few doses of fortune. In both games the defense was unimpressive and the result created plays that could have gone either way. The Ravens wiped the floor with San Francisco on Christmas, and the Chiefs will do the same on Sunday. Tom Lutz
49ers 33-28 Leaders. Heart or head? Well, ego trumps both. The 49ers were my preseason darlings and you just have to hang in there, right? (I also have to try to regain some credibility by suggesting the Ravens miss the playoffs.) Shanahan is going to come up with something really special to get his first ring. Next year’s trilogy fight will be tough. Graham Searles
You can read our full breakdown of the matchup predictions, from the MVP to how each team can win, here: