The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles did their thing during the NFL Divisional Playoffs with big home wins to advance to football’s equivalent of the Final 4. But the job is not done yet.
Philadelphia will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at 3:00 PM ET next Sunday. Meanwhile, Kansas City will take on the reigning Super Bowl runner-up Cincinnati Bengals at home in the AFC Championship Game at 6:30 PM ET.
Looking at the early odds for these two matchups, both Kansas City and Philadelphia are seen as minor home favorites. Per DraftKings, the Eagles are 2.5-point favorites over San Francisco. Kansas City comes in at 1.5-point favorites as it looks to exact revenge against Cincinnati.
Related: Bold Predictions for Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals AFC Championship Game
Kansas City Chiefs eyeing another Super Bowl appearance
Patrick Mahomes and Co. won Super Bowl LIV over the aforementioned San Francisco 49ers back in 2020. It then went on to lose to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl the following season. A win during NFL Championship Sunday would send the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl in four seasons.
Standing in Kansas City’s way is a Cincinnati team coming off a blowout 27-10 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Joe Burrow and Co. have won 10 consecutive games, including a Week 13 home win over these Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals odds
- Point spread: Chiefs -1.5
- Over/under: 47.5
- Moneyline: Chiefs (-120), Bengals (+100)
As for Cincinnati, it is looking to make back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in franchise history. The team has made three Super Bowl appearances in its history with two of those losses coming against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s. We also have to keep a close eye on Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes after he suffered a high-ankle sprain Saturday evening.
Philadelphia Eagles riding high in lead up to NFC Championship Game
Philadelphia disposed of an overmatched Giants team by the score of 38-7 in the divisional round. The team was up 28-0 at halftime, and never looked back. This was the continuation of a dominant performance from these Eagles during the regular season.
That’s why the smallish point spread against San Francisco is somewhat surprising. Even then, the 49ers have won 12 consecutive. Two more wins and they’ll join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win 14 in a row to conclude a season.
Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers odds
- Point spread: Eagles -2.5
- Over/under: 45.5
- Moneyline: Eagles (-140), 49ers (+120)
In reality, Philadelphia’s advantage comes via playing at home. Including Saturday’s blowout win over New York, this team is 8-2 playing inside the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field. As for San Francisco, it has won four consecutive road games by a combined margin of 56 points. Will rookie QB Brock Purdy and Co. be up to the task?