Unlike last season when the two home favorites won and advanced to the Super Bowl, it was the visiting teams that had the upper hand on Sunday with the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots winning on the road as 3-point dogs to advance to the final game of the 2018 season. And just to make things more exciting than they already were, both games went into overtime, a first in NFL history.
It was a bit surprising to see road teams have success since the hosts had been victorious in the past 10 conference championship games. The last time we saw visitors win on the same day was in January 2013 with the San Francisco 49ers winning in Atlanta to capture the NFC title and Baltimore knocking off New England to take the AFC crown. We also had an epic showdown between those teams in Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens winning 34-31 the day the lights went out in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Both games were a rematch from the regular season. The Rams and Saints put up 80 points in their Week 9 game, but the defenses came to play on Sunday with the teams falling below the final point total. Playing in frigid temperatures, the Chiefs and Pats lit up the scoreboard for 68 combined points, easily cashing the over. The under was 8-1 in New England’s last nine regular season game, but they played over the total in each of their two postseason matchups.
NFL Championship Sunday Betting Summary
| WAGER |
Favorite/Underdog |
| Straight Up |
0 – 2 |
| ATS |
0 – 2 |
| WAGER |
Total (O/U) |
| Over/Under |
1 – 1 |
Championship Sunday Betting Recap
The Saints were denied a chance to win on a blatant non-call late in regulation. And it was a huge sequence in the outcome. Driving for the go-ahead score, a pass interference penalty on the Rams was not called. Instead of running out the clock and setting up for a game-winning field goal attempt, the Saints had to kick with plenty of time left on the clock. The Rams used the additional time to move in position for their game-tying kick and an interception in overtime set them up for the game-winner from Greg Zuerlein in the 26-23 win.
The acquisition of C.J. Anderson looks like a steal after he took a majority of snaps in the Rams backfield. It should have been Todd Gurley getting the call, but he let a ball squirt through his hands on the Rams opening possession that was intercepted by Demario Davis. The defense held the Saints to a field goal putting LA behind 6-0.
Gurley ran for 10 yards and a touchdown on four carries and he added one reception for three yards. His touches and total yards were both career-lows. Despite not utilizing one of the best offensive weapons in the game, the Rams were able to come back from a 13-0 deficit in a hostile environment.
"I was sorry as hell today," Gurley said after the game. "I was sorry. So, C.J. did his thing and the whole team did its thing."
So much for the demise of the Patriots. They were not a very good road team during the regular season, but they put everything together against the Chiefs, doing what they had to to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field. Brady was magical in the fourth quarter, leading the Pats to the go-ahead score only to have Mahomes answer with time running out.
The key play of the game may have been the overtime coin flip. The Pats won the toss and took the ball the length of the field with Brady leading the way. Rex Burkhead scampered in from a few yards out and the Chiefs’ offense never had a chance in the extra session.
NFL Betting Odds
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