Championship Sunday is upon us with the four remaining teams in the NFL postseason vying for a trip to Las Vegas in February for Super Bowl LVIII. The top seeds in each conference survived the Divisional Round and will host with the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers and AFC’s Baltimore Ravens listed as the favorite in their respective games. The Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the day as a 3.5-point favorite. The Chiefs are making their sixth straight appearance in the title game with three wins in their five previous trips. For the first time under Patrick Mahomes KC went on the road for a playoff game knocking off Buffalo, 27-24, last week as a 2.5-point dog on the closing line. The Chiefs improved to 13-3 in the postseason with Mahomes as their starter.
The only one among the four teams without a Super Bowl appearance, the Detroit Lions are a converted touchdown underdog in their quest to change history. They already have in so many ways but are still looking for the ultimate prize. The Lions won their first division title in three decades, matched a franchise record with 12 regular season wins, snapped an eight-game postseason losing streak with a victory of the Rams on Super Wild Card Weekend and reached the NFC Championship for just the second time. Since Week 8 of last season the Lions have gone 22-7. Over the same time period the Niners are 25-6, the Chiefs 25-7 and Baltimore 20-9. So they definitely belong in the semifinal round of the NFL playoffs.
The conference championships will take place on Sunday, January 28, 2024 with the AFC matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens starting at 3 p.m. ET on CBS from MT Bank Stadium. The NFC contest between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. and will be televised on FOX.
NFL Betting Lines
AFC Championship Game Betting Odds
Kansas City Chiefs +3.5 (ML +170)
Baltimore Ravens -3.5 (ML -192)
Total 44.5
In their five previous postseasons the Chiefs never played a true road game, so there was some concern over how they would handle the situation last week in Buffalo. Mahomes made enough plays with two touchdown passes, the defense came up big at the right time and KC got some help from the Bills in a 27-24 victory, sending the Chiefs back to the AFC Championship for a sixth straight season. The outright win also put KC at 4-0 ATS in its last four games. If experience matters at playoff time the Chiefs have the advantage.
The Ravens have their own special weapon in likely MVP Lamar Jackson. In their 34-10 win over Houston, Jackson tossed two scoring passes and rushed for 100 yards and another two TDs. And while we think of offense when talking about the two quarterbacks, the teams have been stifling with their defense all season. The Chiefs allowed the second fewest yards per game while the Ravens boasted the top scoring defense in the NFL during the regular season. The teams last played during the 2021 season with Baltimore ending a four-game losing streak with a 36-35 win. In each of the last five encounters the teams combined to go over the total set for this game, but the defenses weren’t as strong in those matchups.
NFL Pick: Baltimore Ravens -3.5 / UNDER 44.5
NFC Championship Game Betting Odds
Detroit Lions +7 (ML +289)
San Francisco 49ers -7 (ML -345)
Total 51
Though they accomplished so much this season the Lions are still viewed as inferior because of their past failures. That’s been a motivating factor for the club all season and you can’t argue with the fact that they have a QB who appeared in a Super Bowl. Led by Jared Goff, who’s playing with a chip on his shoulder after the Rams discarded him because he couldn’t win the big one, the Lions boast a balanced offense attack that finished among the top 5 in passing, rushing and total yards. The problem is that their opponent did the same while having an arguably better defensive unit.
Brock Purdy is out for redemption after an elbow injury in last year’s championship game cost the Niners a chance at the Super Bowl. One thing about SF is the abundance of playmakers make Purdy’s job much easier. There’s a chance one of those players Deebo Samuel doesn’t dress hindering what the offense can do. The Niners had the most efficient passing game during the season and the Lions struggled in pass defense. However, without Samuel the game plan will be impacted. And if the Lions get their running game working behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the upset is there for the taking.
NFL Pick: Detroit Lions +7 / UNDER 51
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