AFC Championship Bengals vs. Chiefs opening odds (Vegas can’t agree on opening line)
The Cincinnati Bengals have pulled off the upset against the Buffalo Bills, and will now head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the AFC Championship for the second straight year.
The result will allow the NFL to avoid a neutral site championship game, which is what would have happened if the Bills had won and advanced.
Now, the game will take place at Arrowhead, the same place of last year’s AFC title game when the Bengals upset the Chiefs, 27-24, to win the conference and advance to the Super Bowl.
Odds have been released for this year’s rematch. Let’s take a look.
Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Odds
FanDuel Sportsbook opened the line as Chiefs at 2.5-point favorites, and Caesars Sportsbook opened the line at Chiefs -1.
We’ll monitor this line throughout the week, and I’m sure the consensus will land somewhere around Chiefs -1.5.
In last year’s edition of the AFC Championship, the Chiefs held a 21-10 halftime lead before eventually losing in overtime after getting outscored 14-3 in the second half.
A similar result happened in their regular season matchup this year. The Chiefs got out to a 24-17 lead in the second half, but the Bengals stormed back to win by a final score of 27-24.
The biggest difference this time around will be the health of Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback suffered an ankle sprain during their Divisional Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and just how healthy he’ll be heading into the AFC Championship game will be the story line of the week.
It’s also the factor that explains the varying opening lines we’re seeing for the game.
Keep your eyes on FanSided for the latest odds and analysis throughout conference championship week.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.