Was this not the best NFL Divisional Round we’ve ever seen? Over in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs treated us to one of the best games of the year, while the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off quite the upset against the Tennessee Titans. Now, the stage is set and we have AFC Championship Game picks for the Chiefs vs. Bengals this weekend. Which team will move on to play in the Super Bowl?
| AFC odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs to win | -330 | -330 | -330 | -330 |
| Bengals to win | +265 | +265 | +265 | +265 |
| Kelce to score TD | -155 | -155 | -155 | -155 |
| Mahomes 300 yards | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
• What: AFC Championship Game
• Who: Chiefs vs. Bengals
• Where: Kansas City
• When: Sunday, Jan. 30
As you might have been able to guess, the Chiefs are favored over the Bengals in the AFC title game when these two teams meet. Kansas City fans are yet to catch their breath after the wild Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. It looked like Buffalo was about to pull off the upset, as they scored the go-ahead TD with 13 second left on the clock. Yet, Patrick Mahomes came up in the clutch.
Indeed, Mahomes was able to complete two balls to set up a long field goal attempt for standout kicker Harrison Butker. Butker was able to connect and force overtime. Then in the OT session, the Chiefs won the toss and were able to drive down the field with ease, with Mahomes hitting Travis Kelce for the game winning touchdown to send the Chiefs to the next round.
As for the Bengals, this team’s confidence is through the roof right now. First, they were able to take down the Raiders in the Wild Card Round. Then, they followed that up by heading to Tennessee to take down Ryan Tannehill and Co. In that win, Joe Burrow was simply fantastic in the victory. He continues to look like one of the best signal-callers in the game.
According to the best rated online sportsbooks, the Chiefs are monster favorites with the -340 NFL Las Vegas odds. As for the Bengals, they have been set at +275. This tells you that the oddsmakers think Kansas City will be able to get to its third consecutive Super Bowl. We agree, as we’re going with the Chiefs as our pick. Agree? Check out our NFL betting sites and place a wager.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, look for Travis Kelce to stay hot in the AFC title game. The star tight end has been on an absolute force of late and he shouldn’t slow down against the Bengals. Down the stretch of the season, and thus far in the postseason, Kelce has simply been out of this world. He’s been so consistent catching the ball from Mahomes time and time again.
In the heart-stopping win over the Bills on Sunday, Kelce hauled in eight receptions for 96 yards and the game-winning score. With the game on the line, was there any doubt that Kelce would want the ball in his hands? He’s simply a game and he’s going to be ready to rock whenever his No. 87 is called. Kelce’s confidence can’t be matched right now either.
That’s going to be the case when your team believes in you like this. After the win, head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes said they knew Kelce would be able to catch the game-winner if the ball came his way. Mahomes put the ball on the money too and the rest is history. Now, thanks to Kelce, Mahomes and others, the Chiefs could win their second Super Bowl in the past three seasons.
Come Sunday against the Bills, we think Kelce will surely be able to find the end zone again. The oddsmakers have given him -155 NFL playoffs odds to score a touchdown. With the matchup against Cincy expected to be a high-scoring affair, we surely think Kelce will be celebrating a TD in this one. We’re picking Kelce to score as our pick for sure in this case.
In addition to Kelce having a big game, we fully expect Patrick Mahomes will throw for well over 300 yards in this one. The matchup between the Chiefs and Bengals really has what it takes to be a complete shootout. Mahomes and Burrow powering the offense is one thing, but you also have guys like Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Mixon and others ready to make plays too.
With Kansas City, they’re going to count on Mahomes from start to finish to throw the ball all over the field. Fortunately for him, Kansas City will once again be playing at home in front of the Chiefs fans. They’ll be screaming their heads off supporting the team from start to finish. This is only going to motivate Mahomes even more to ball out.
Although the odds are yet to be set for Mahomes’ yardage total, we think he should be able to cross the 300-yard mark without a problem. Heck, he might even be able to flirt with 400 yards in this one. It’s going to take a special performance for Kansas City to make easy work of the Bengals. Luckily for Reid, he’s got Mahomes as his quarterback.
