Well, it is finally here.
One game stands in the way of the ultimate prize, a chance to play for the Lombardi trophy in the Super Bowl.
The AFC Championship game will go down in Arrowhead on Sunday to determine who will be top dog in the AFC in what has been an incredibly entertaining NFL season.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will battle it out with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals for all the marbles and it is going to be a doozie.
Here is all the game information you need, a game prediction, and the best bet you can make.
Let’s dive in…
Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Game Date and Time: Sunday, January 29th, 2023. 5:30 PM EST
- Game Location: Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City, Missouri.
- Where to Watch: CBS/Paramount Plus/NFL Plus
Spread
- Bengals +1 (-110)
- Chiefs -1 (-110)
MoneyLine
- Bengals (-105)
- Chiefs (-115)
Total
- Over 48 (-110)
- Under 48 (-110)
ALL ODDS AVAILABLE HERE
Mahomes Good to Go?
The build up and talk all this week about this game has revolved around the right ankle of Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round game against the Jaguars.
So far so good this week, as speculation swirled around the status and health of Mahomes and whether the MVP winner would be able to play in this game.
It was confirmed that Mahomes does indeed have a high ankle sprain but nothing more and he will be able to play this weekend in the biggest game of the Chiefs’ season.
Here is also a quick reminder what Mahomes did the last time he had a high ankle sprain and played the next week…
He has now practiced two days in a row, as a full participant, and the betting line has responded accordingly.
The line opened at the Chiefs being -3, then it flipped to Bengals -2.5 as the news of Mahomes injury status was in question, and now, it has slipped back to the Chiefs -1.
Goes to show you how much the oddsmakers value the best QB in the NFL.
Mahomes is good to go and will play in his 4th straight AFC Championship game, with a chance to go to his 3rd Super Bowl in 4 seasons.
This one will be extra-sweet as well as he gets a chance to get his revenge on the Bengals, who bounced the Chiefs last season in the Champ game.
Joe Burrow, on the other hand, has other ideas…
Who Dey? Oh, Just…Back to back AFC Champs?
The Bengals come in to this matchup with zero fear of the high and mighty Chiefs.
They have even gone so far as to call Arrowhead ‘BurrowHead,’ citing the fact that Burrow is 3-0 against Mahomes.
The Bengals aren’t short of confidence, that is for sure and who can blame them.
Coming off of a Super bowl appearance last season, the Bengals put together another stellar season and are one game away from back-to-back Super Bowls.
They took down the mighty Bills last week, in Buffalo, and did it quite handily, so a trip to Arrowhead to take on Mahomes and Co. is just another game for this confident crew.
If Burrow and the offense can play with the consistency and effectiveness it showed last week in Buffalo, then this game is going to be electric.
And I think it will be.
Prediction
All in all, this is going to be a tight one. So much is at stake obviously, but there is the added drama of the rematch of last years AFC Championship game.
Throw in the Mahomes injury and the Bengals calling Arrowhead ‘Burrowhead’ and we’ve got a show on our hands to cap off our Sunday.
For me, I am going with the Chiefs.
I feel a Mahomes legacy game loading and with all the talk about the Bengals and Mahomes being 0-3 vs Burrow, I feel like there is only one side to take here.
Give me the Chiefs and the points. Mahomes wins his 3rd AFC Championship and makes his 3rd Super Bowl appearance in 4 seasons.
Best Bet
Chiefs -1 (-110)
Consensus Pick
Chiefs -1 (-110)
Enjoy the AFC Championship Game! It’s gonna be a fun one!
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