Bengals vs. Chiefs: 2023 AFC Championship Picks & Predictions (Sunday)
Only one quarterback in the NFL has defeated Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs three times in a row, and that quarterback will once again be in town on Sunday night in the AFC championship game in Kansas City.
By defeating Mahomes and the Chiefs (15-3) in the conference championship game for the second consecutive year, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (14-4) would make their way back to the Super Bowl.
Let’s take a closer look at if that will play out or not
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
2023 NFL Playoffs Conference Championships Betting Guide >>
NFL AFC Championship Round Best Bets: Bengals vs. Chiefs (Sunday)
Details
- Opening Line: Chiefs -1.5 | O/U 48
- Current Line: Chiefs -1 | O/U 47.5
- Last meeting: December 4, 2022 – Chiefs 24, Bengals 27
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Overview
The last Bengals win over the chiefs came on Dec. 4, when they won 27-24 amid their current 10-game winning streak.
The most recent defeat for Cincinnati came on Halloween against Cleveland. If he can defeat the Chiefs once more, Burrow will tie Russell Wilson for the most playoff victories (six) by a quarterback in their first three seasons.
In his three-game run against the Chiefs, Burrow has a passer rating of 121, nine touchdowns (one rushing) and one interception.
Mahomes will make his fifth start in the conference final, with his overall playoff record at 9-3 as the legend grows. In his 10 career home playoff appearances, he has 32 touchdowns (28 TD passing, four TD runs) and three interceptions.
Mahomes, though, has an upper right ankle sprain. After briefly leaving the Chiefs’ Divisional Round victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, he returned to the game and completed 22 of 30 throws for a season-low 195 yards with two touchdowns while avoiding being sacked.
Bottom Line
The Bengals deployed 10 planned cornerback blitzes to defeat the Buffalo Bills last week, a strategy I expect to see again this week. Hobbled, at best, this should not fare well for Mahomes, and I expect the Bengals’ to largely have their way in the backfield.
On the other side, Burrow was hardly ever put under pressure, even with three offensive line starters out due to injuries last week against Buffalo. With at least one of those linemen expected back, look for Burrow to put up numbers as the Bengals head back to the Super Bowl.
Pick: Bengals +1 (-110)
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