There is something about headsThe next AFC Championship game that differs from their previous four matches in the championship games of their current run. Kansas City, a favorite for each of the past four years, opened as the favorite again this season, but the streak was flipped early in the week as KC became a 1.5-point underdog in Sunday’s showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals. On Thursday, the streak flipped again, with the Chiefs now a one-point favorite, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
As the streak continues to bounce, it’s worth noting that there are tangible reasons why the Bengals were briefly a rare favorite in the title game. First, they’ve beaten the Chiefs three times over the past two years, including last year’s thriller for the AFC title. Cincinnati overcame a 21-3 deficit and won the game in overtime after a Bengals safety Von Bell Chiefs picked quarterback Patrick Mahomes to set up Evan McPherson Game-winning field goal in Kansas City.
Cincinnati posted a 27-24 victory over Kansas City in Week 13 after scoring the last 10 points of the game. full back Jermaine Pratt Forced groping Travis Kelsey Early in the fourth quarter they set up Burrow’s game-winning pass to Chris Evans.
Featured game | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Mahomes, who is likely to win the League II MVP award next month, was asked about his team’s struggle against Cincinnati after the Week 13 loss.
“First, they have a great quarterback, a guy who won a lot of football games, even if it was in college, and now he’s won a lot of football games in NFLMahomes said “He’s someone who races to the end as well. They’ve got playmakers all around, they’re well-trained and they’ve got a good defense. At the end of the day, they execute at a higher level in critical situations.”
As mentioned by Mahomes, Burrow was at his best in games against the Chiefs. In his first three games against the Chiefs, Burrow completed 72% of his passes with eight tackles against only one interception.
Speaking of quarterbacks, a high ankle sprain Mahomes suffered Saturday’s divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars is certainly another reason why the Bengals are favored. Mahomes, who was injured during the first half, left the game briefly before finishing with 195 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-30. However, Mahomes Since then fully practiced And it looks good to go, which is probably why Chiefs are now favored again.
The Bengals’ success away from Cincinnati is likely another reason to favor them at some point this week. Including last Sunday’s win in Buffalo, the Bengals are 7-3 on the road this season and winners in their last five road games. Cincinnati is 8-3 in its last 11 games as road-best. Conversely, the Chiefs are 0-2 as a rare home underdog over the past two seasons.
Looking back at the past three games, Sunday’s game will likely be another close match between the two best teams in the AFC. Each of the past three games has been a three-point score, with the Bengals out at the end of each game.
The winner of Sunday’s game will cement their place in history. Kansas City could become the eighth team to play in at least three Super Bowls over five years, and the first since the 2010 Patriots. The Bengals could become only the fifth team this century to appear in consecutive Super Bowls. Should they win in powerCincinnati would join the 1971 Cowboys, 1972 dolphins and the 2018 Patriots are the only teams to win a Super Bowl one year after losing the big game.