The Bengals and the Chiefs are the last two teams standing in the AFC, but are they worthy of being here and are there others that should be playing in the conference championship game instead?
Let’s glance at the latest NFL odds and discuss these teams to get an insight into our NFL picks this weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, January 29, 2023 – 06:30 PM EST a GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Odds Breakdown
- Spread: Bengals -1.5 (-108) / Chiefs +1.5 (-108)
- Moneyline: Bengals (-125) / Chiefs (+105)
- Total: Over 46.5 (-108) / Under 46.5 (-108)
*Odds available at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Chiefs Season-Long Favorites
It would be disingenuous, to say the least, to infer that the Chiefs were lucky to end up on the top of the heap after beginning and ending the season as favorites to win the AFC title. No, the Chiefs are right where they should be but it is still quite a feat considering Patrick Mahomes lost his greatest deep threat, Tyreek Hill, in the offseason.
However, not having Hill to stretch the field has at least partially contributed to the Chiefs’ inability to blow teams out. Consider for a moment that Kansas City is 15-3 straight up at Missouri betting sites but a bankroll-busting 5-12-1 against the number.
We should also note that since Week 11, Mahomes was without running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was used as an outlet receiver more times than not. However, 7th-round rookie Isiah Pacheco has made the most of the opportunity with which he’s been presented and was already usurping CEH as the starting tailback shortly before he got injured.
Protect Mahomes
However, the Chiefs will have an enormous mountain to climb in defeating the team that ousted them from Super Bowl contention last year – the Cincinnati Bengals.
And not only will the KC defense have to contend with Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins but the Chiefs’ offense will have to protect their superstar gunslinger from harm after he suffered a high ankle sprain last week in the team’s 17-10 win over the Jaguars.
Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown said, “When something like that happens, it forces us up front to play even harder to make sure he doesn’t get hit. That’s one thing about it—you get motivated to up your game even more.”
“We have a ton of grit instilled in us here, and we love the sport and love each other. I don’t know how to explain it, but we just want to rally behind 15. He’s the epitome of what our team is,” Brown added.
Should the Cats be Back?
The Bengals staggered to a 2-3 start and there were already whispers that the Joe Cool era in Cincinnati was nice while it lasted but Cincinnati was lucky to get to the Super Bowl last year and lightning wouldn’t strike twice.
Well, well, well, guess who’s back? Yeah, the Cats are back and Joe Burrow is no one-hit-wonder. If not the Bengals in the AFC title tilt, then who?
No Team Like the Bengals
Who, do you think should play in their stead? Certainly not the Bills. The Bengals traveled into the eye of the storm, home of the Bills Mafia and over 70,000 crazed lunatics who believed this was their year.
Josh Allen, the savior of the franchise, and the 21st-century version of Jim Kelly was supposed to do this season what Kelly failed to do in four consecutive Super Bowl appearances – win. But the Bengals proved to be too good on both sides of the ball in their 27-10 road victory over the Bills.
So, if not Buffalo, then maybe Baltimore? Ah, no, the Bengals beat them twice this season including in the first round of the playoffs. We are running out of teams but I can’t possibly make a case for the Dolphins, Chargers, Jags, or Steelers to be playing on Sunday over Cincinnati.
No, the Bengals are exactly where they should be and what makes their ascension even more impressive is they did it despite their decimated offensive line. Last week, Joe Burrow managed to release the ball quicker than the Bills’ pass rushers could get to him despite missing three starters on his O-line with one, Ted Karras, playing injured.
Will Recent History Repeat?
But Sunday is a rematch from last season’s AFC Championship game and the Bengals would like a repeat of their 27-24 overtime win at Arrowhead. The teams are the same, and the venue is the same, but Cincinnati coach, Zac Taylor, said it still feels different.
“At the end of the day, it feels like we played them a really long time ago,” Taylor said. “I don’t even know how many games ago it was, to be quite honest with you. I don’t even know what month it was in but you know teams continue to evolve. And different strengths pop up, different weaknesses pop up. So, you got to do the whole game planning thing all over again and get your guys ready to go play in a tough environment against a great team.
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