NFL Week 12 Picks: Predicting the Score for Chiefs vs. Patriots Monday Night

Let's take a quick preview of the clash between New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs tonight on Monday Night Football:

Why the Patriots should win

The biggest reason the Patriots should win actually comes from the opposing sidelines. Matt Cassel will be in a baseball cap, and backup Tyler Palko will be wearing the helmet because of Cassel's injury he suffered last week.

Tonight will mark Palko's first ever NFL start, and he'll be facing one of the game's best ever quarterbacks in Tom Brady, who hardly ever loses at home in New England. Brady is also coming off a game in which he shredded a much better Jets pass defense than the Chiefs will throw at him Monday night.

Don't forget about the Patriots defense, either. They certainly looked like they figured out some things against the Jets, but that could also be because of a Jets offense that is really struggling. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots defense plays against a guy they have very little tape on. I'm not sure we can say the Pats defense is back if they play well again tonight, but it's another stepping stone in their revival in 2011.

Why the Chiefs could hang around

The Patriots still have a defense that can surrender yards and points in a hurry. Cornerback Devin McCourty has been ruled out, so the Patriots will be without their top guy in the secondary. And considering we don't know much about Tyler Palko, there's reason to believe he could take that defense by surprise.

Running back Jackie Battle will be the biggest factor in whether the Chiefs win or lose Monday night. If he can get the Chiefs' running game on track and take some pressure of Palko, the Chiefs could have a chance. Remember, this is a team that is just two weeks removed from winning four straight games. They can get hot, and Battle's emergence is a big reason for that.

Final score prediction: Patriots 28, Chiefs 10

How can you possibly pick against Tom Brady as a 15-point favorite at home against a backup quarterback? A lot has to go right for the Chiefs to pull off this upset on the road in New England. We'll bank on another Monday night game turning into a snoozer as the Patriots win by double digits.