Teams on Upset Alert in the NFL Conference Championship Games (Archive)
Will we see two upsets in the NFL Conference Championship games? Let’s break down the NFL odds for this Sunday and see if we can find a clue.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, January 30, 2022 – 03:00 PM EST at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Betting Preview
I called the Bengals’ upset last week and I’ll stand by it this week. Back on January 2, the Bengals defeated the Chiefs, 34-31. The Bengals were the home team in that one and will be the road team in this one, but still, of course, there’s a chance for the Bengals to pull off the upset.
The offensive line hasn’t done any favors for the Bengals this season, but Joe Burrow has. Despite all the sacks, Burrow has thrown for 592 yards in two games with a completion percentage of 73.2 percent. All of this, while getting sacked 11 times in two games.
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Against the Chiefs, in Week 17, Burrow threw for 466 yards and completed 76.9 percent of passes while throwing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. Burrow was sacked four times in that game and that likely won’t change going forward. He’ll be sacked a lot, but he’s also capable of converting huge plays down the field on long-distance-to-go situations.
On the other hand, it doesn’t look like the Chiefs can get many stops either defensively. In the playoffs, the Chiefs were able to hold Pittsburgh to 21 points but Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills had plenty of success against this Chiefs defense.
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The Pick
Joe Burrow doesn't have the offensive line or mobility that Josh Allen has on offense, but he’s got that it-factor and has a lot of playmaking ability around him to continue being successful.
Why not take the Bengals as +270 underdogs knowing they already won a game once already against the Chiefs.
NFL Pick: Bengals ML (+270) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, January 30, 2022 – 06:30 PM EST at SoFi Stadium
Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Rams might be favorites, but let’s not forget that the 49ers have already beaten the Rams twice this season. The 49ers basically have the Rams’ number this season.
The Rams have struggled to run the football against the 49ers this year and while Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t done much offensively against the Rams, he’s been a solid game manager.
He’s turned the ball over fewer times than Matthew Stafford in those two games between the 49ers and Rams. The Rams are going to be the public favorite. Los Angeles just beat down the former champions and Tom Brady.
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But if the Rams don’t put together a complete game, the 49ers could steal this game, just like they did against the Packers last week. The Rams made a whole bunch of errors against the Buccaneers and literally blew a massive lead.
Tom Brady tied the game, but Matthew Stafford threw a bomb to Cooper Kupp down the middle of the field to put the Rams in position to win the game.
The Pick
The 49ers are that team that will punish teams for their mistakes. The defense continues to show up against the Rams when it’s needed the most, so don’t count out the 49ers in this one. The Rams are officially on upset alert for this week's NFL picks.
NFL Pick: 49ers ML (+150) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.