The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs face off Sunday in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. When these two teams faced off on December 4th it was the Bengals that secured the 27-24 victory. The winner of this game will take on the winner of the 49ers and Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Bengals Betting Preview
The Bengals come into this game with a 14-4 record overall and they have gone 13-4-1 against the spread. The Bengals have beaten the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills so far in the playoffs to get to this point. In the last game against the Bills, they were able to secure a 27-10 victory. Joe Burrow had another strong game completing 23 of his 34 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Mixon also had a strong game finishing with 20 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. Tight Hayden Hurst is dealing with a calf injury and it’s unclear if he’s going to be able to go in this game. Linebacker Joe Bachie is dealing with a foot injury and he’s also questionable for this game.
Chiefs Betting Preview
On the other side of this matchup is the Chiefs who sit with a 15-3 record overall and they have gone 5-12-1 against the spread. The Chiefs had a bye in the first round of the playoffs before beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 in the last game. Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain and completed 20 of his 30 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Chad also completed 5 of his 7 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Isiah Pacheco also rushed 12 times for 95 yards. The storyline surrounding the Chiefs is the status of Mahomes. The team has made it clear that he is going to be playing, but if he can’t be mobile, that is going to really hurt his production. His ankle could be what determines if the Chiefs make the Super Bowl.
Bengals vs Chiefs Trends
The Chiefs are 0-5 against the spread in their last five games against a team with a winning record. The Chiefs are 1-8-1 against the spread in their last ten home games. The under is 5-0 in the Bengals last five playoff games played on the road.
Shane’s Free Pick
Even if Mahomes is 100 percent healthy, which he’s not going to be, the Bengals are going to get the job done in this game. Burrow has been playing so well heading into this game, and the Bengals defense only gave up only 10 points to the Bills, and their defense is going to step up again. The Bengals might give up more than ten points here, but they are still going to step up enough to get the job done. Back the Bengals against the spread.
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
