The Kansas City Chiefs (14-3, 7-1 home) host the Cincinnati Bengals (12-4, 6-3 away) with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line in a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship. Cincinnati won that matchup, 27-24 in overtime and defeated the Chiefs by that same score during this season.
Sunday’s primetime kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a 1.5-point favorite, and the over/under total is 47.5 points.
What to Know – Cincinnati Bengals
A win for Cincinnati sends the Bengals back to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season after a run last year that ultimately ended in a defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. Cincinnati has gotten to this point with wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills.
This season the Bengals offense is scoring 26.1 points per game and averaging 378.0 yards of total offense. Cincinnati’s defense has limited opponents to 13.5 ppg and 354.5 yards of offense.
The play of the Bengals offensive line has been the biggest question mark all season, and the unit has stepped up admirably in the playoffs. Cincinnati will come into the title game missing three regulars on the offensive line in La’el Collins, Alex Cappa and Jonah Williams.
The Bengals are 13-5 against the spread and 8-2 ATS on the road this year. Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its previous six matchups against Kansas City.
What to Know – Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs hope for a change in fortunes after last year’s loss to the Bengals that sent Andy Reid and co. home. Kansas City enjoyed a bye during the first round of the playoffs before knocking off the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
Offensively the Chiefs are averaging 29.2 points per game and tallying 424.7 yards as one of the top offensive units in the NFL. The defense for Kansas City holds teams to 20.0 ppg and 361.0 yards offense.
All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce went down with an apparent back injury late in the week and goes into Sunday with a questionable tag. If Kelce can’t go, that’ll be a massive blow to a Chiefs offense that is already missing running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Kansas City comes into the matchup with a 7-11 record ATS and a 3-6 mark ATS at home. The Chiefs are 2-6 ATS over their last eight games played against opponents from the AFC North.
The Pick is In
The Bengals have questions on the offensive line but so far, so good for the five-man front this postseason. Kansas City has more injury concerns with the true health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Kelce up in the air.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have demonstrated they aren’t afraid to head into hostile territory and get the job done, and with the health questions looming in the KC locker room, we like the Bengals to do it again.
The Pick: Cincinnati Bengals ML
