Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds: AFC Championship Early Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds: AFC Championship Early Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
After one of the wildest NFL Playoff weekends in recent memory, the AFC Championship Game matchup is official. The 4-seed Cincinnati Bengals will meet the 2-seed Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday afternoon for the right to play in Super Bowl LVI. Both teams won on the final play of their respective Divisional Round games to reach this point.
This will also be a rematch from Week 17 of the regular season, a Bengals win that came with some very questionable officiating. Opening NFL betting odds have installed the hosts as a full touchdown favorite for this Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Game showdown.
Bengals vs. Chiefs Opening NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
NFL Postseason — AFC Championship Game
Cincinnati Bengals (12-7 SU, 12-7 ATS) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (14-5 SU, 10-9 ATS)
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2022
Start Time: 3 PM EST
Location: Arrowhead Stadium — Kansas City, MO
TV Coverage: CBS
Cincinnati Bengals Preview
Think the Bengals will win it all? Click here to bet them at +750
The Bengals became just the second team in NFL history to win a playoff game in which they allowed eight sacks or more. Despite second-year QB Joe Burrow being sacked a whopping nine times in Saturday afternoon’s Divisional Round contest, Cincinnati still managed to knock off the Tennessee Titans on an Evan McPherson field goal as time expired. Rumor has it that the Bengals front office sent Ryan Tannehill a fruit basket after the game as a thank you for his three horrendous interceptions.Â
When Burrow wasn’t running for his life, he was busy carving up the Titans secondary for nearly 350 yards passing. Needless to say, the Bengals have a keeper in the 2020 first overall pick. The problem is the offensive line in front of him or lack thereof. Those nine sacks came despite Tennessee largely only rushing four defenders the entire game. Burrow’s splits against a blitz are much better than when opposing defenses only rush four. Bettors should operate under the assumption that the Chiefs will attempt to capitalize on this in the AFC title game.
While Cincinnati’s defensive secondary leaves a bit to be desired, the front seven has a pair of game-changing stars. Pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, tackle D.J. Reader and linebacker Logan Wilson have each had their fingerprints all over the unit’s turnaround this season. Perhaps the only chance the Bengals will have of slowing down the Chiefs’ attack is if they generate consistent pressure. After setting a franchise record for sacks during the regular season, Hendrickson will look to get the better of a young Chiefs offensive line.
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Kansas City Chiefs Preview
Think the Chiefs will win it all? Click here to bet them at +130
Patrick Mahomes might not be fully human. How on Earth he managed to get the Chiefs in field goal range down three with all of 13 seconds left in regulation will forever be one of life’s greatest mysteries. Of course, Kansas City went on to win the overtime coin toss and the rest is history. Mahomes dimed Travis Kelce for the game-winning touchdown on the very first possession. Bills Mafia can piss and moan all they want about the NFL’s overtime rules. Bottom line: get a defensive stop!Â
With the win, the Chiefs are now set to become the first team in history to host the AFC Championship Game in four consecutive seasons. After struggling early on in the season, the offense has roared to life down the stretch. The 42 points scored in the Divisional Round win marked the sixth time in the last seven games that Kansas City has topped the 30-point threshold. Of course, one of those came in the 34-31 loss at Cincinnati, a game in which Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce combined for only 65 yards receiving.Â
Click here for complete NFL Betting odds
The main area of concern for the Chiefs heading into Sunday’s NFL betting contest is on defense. If not for multiple blown coverages in the secondary, Kansas City’s matchup with Buffalo in the Divisional Round wouldn’t have been close. Of course, losing star safety Tyrann Mathieu to a concussion early on didn’t help matters. The status of his health will be key for bettors to monitor over the coming week.Â
Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Game Opening Betting OddsÂ
The following table displays the opening lines and best odds for the Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Game matchup.
| Team | Moneyline | ML Implied Probability | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | +250 | 28.6% | +7 (-110) | O 53.5 (-110) |
| Chiefs | -320 | 76.2% | -7 (-110) | O 53.5 (-110) |
Bengals vs. Chiefs NFL Betting Trends
- Bengals are 6-0 ATS and 5-1 SU in their last six games.
- Chiefs are 8-2 ATS in their last ten games.
- Bengals are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.
- Chiefs are 6-0 both SU and ATS in their last six home games.
- Bengals are 5-1 SU in their last six head-to-head matchups against the Chiefs.
Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Game Betting Picks and Prediction
While all of the attention ahead of this game will center around the two young, star quarterbacks, bettors simply cannot overlook the Bengals’ weakness along the offensive line. If the Chiefs are able to get pressure rushing four defenders, it will be a long day for Joe Burrow. Not only will he be under constant duress, but Kansas City will be able to drop their extra defenders into coverage. This was something that the Chiefs did not do effectively in the first meeting as Ja’Marr Chase went bananas on them down the field.
There is no question that the Bengals cannot expect to intercept Patrick Mahomes three times in the AFC Championship Game. It also feels pretty safe to say that Cincy can only hope to slow down the Chiefs’ offense as opposed to fully stopping it. Thus, it will be paramount for the Bengals’ offensive line to play better. When it comes to betting a side, that is not an occurrence worth laying money on.
The total for this game has opened plenty high at 53.5 and rightfully so given that the strength of both teams is their respective offenses. Bettors can probably anticipate this line falling at some point, but the health of Tyrann Mathieu makes the line move tough to predict. Under is the preferred side for now as there will possibly be an opportunity to fire back in the other direction later in the week.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs Picks
- Chiefs -7 at -110 (Bet $110 to Win $100)
- Under 53.5 at -110 (Bet $110 to Win $100)
Henry has had a passion for sports that few can match for as long as he can remember. What started out as a five-year-old taking interest in the New York Jets and their green jerseys has since become a full-fledged career as a writer and sports betting analyst. His coverage primarily includes the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, and college basketball. In 2020, he ranked among the top-10 most accurate experts ATS in the BettingPros NFL season contest. You can follow Henry’s sports work on Twitter and other social media platforms @HankTimeSports.