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NFL Conference Championships Odds, Lines: Chiefs Back to Betting Favorite

Neil Parker

Last Updated: January 27, 2023 10:24 AM EST • 3 min 1 sec read.

There had been line movement all week ahead of the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, but the No. 1 seed Chiefs have settled back in as the home favorite ahead of Sunday’s showdown. Here’s our analysis of all the NFL odds and lines for the AFC and NFC Conference Championships.

Following Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ full participation in Wednesday’s practice, the Chiefs are back to being the betting favorite through all five of our best sportsbooks as of Thursday morning.

The case for the Bengals was clear, and Cincinnati was quickly bet from an underdog to favorite.

Buyback on the Chiefs began late Tuesday evening, and as of Thursday morning the chalk has been erased and rewritten for a second time ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Betting splits might suggest there’s more support for Cincy, but it’s clear there has also been respected money come in on the KC side.

Here are the spread and Over/Under lines for the NFL Conference Championships, and how we think they'll move throughout the week (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings Sportsbook, PointsBet, and Caesars Sportsbook).

Check out our NFL Against the Spread Power Rankings for the Conference Championships.

NFL Conference Championships odds and lines

49ers vs. Eagles Odds

Spread: Eagles -2.5

There hasn’t been a significant move to this spread. Most sportsbooks opened with the Philadelphia Eagles trading as 2.5-point home favorites, and all five of our best sportsbooks have that number as of Friday morning. It’s worth noting that BetMGM did test the San Francisco 49ers as 3-point road underdogs early this week, but that line is no longer available. Additionally, most sportsbooks have a higher price attached to the Philly side. I still think there’s potential for this line to move to Eagles -3 again, but it appears more and more unlikely that we’ll see San Francisco receive the hook as +3.5 road underdogs.

Now that you know the odds, check out our 49ers vs. Eagles picks.

Total: 46.5

This total remains above the key range of 43-44 and well below the key number of 51 as of Wednesday morning. There has been a slight climb from the 45.5 available Monday. DraftKings and FanDuel have the total trading at 46.5 on Wednesday, and two more of our top shops are also hanging that number as of Friday morning. Caesars is the exception with the total listed at 46. Based on the early betting action, I’m not expecting a huge shift in this total leading into Sunday.

Check out our 2023 Super Bowl odds, Super Bowl MVP odds, and our 2024 Super Bowl odds.

Bengals vs. Chiefs Odds

Spread: Chiefs -1

Even with this spread on a yo-yo, the movement has been somewhat predictable. I didn’t expect Mahomes to be a full participant in practice Wednesday, but he was, and a second wave of KC betting support followed. This spread nearly moved as far as Cincinnati -3 earlier this week, and it opened with the Chiefs a -2.5 or -3 favorite depending on the sportsbook. The goal posts have been established, so considering all the early fluctuation to this number, I expect similar slight adjustments right up to Sunday’s kickoff. FanDuel and PointsBet have also done just that with the Bengals listed as a +1.5 road underdog as of Friday morning.

Use this information to help you lock-in your Bengals vs. Chiefs picks for the AFC Championship.

Total: 48

This total was quickly bet down – or adjusted – to a consensus 47.5 as of Monday afternoon. Even with the injury concerns surrounding Mahomes, the number only dipped slightly, and FanDuel remained at 47.5 as of Thursday afternoon. Interestingly, there wasn’t a major adjustment following the release of the KC practice report on Wednesday, either. Caesars and PointsBet still have the number at 47.5, but I expect the Over to remain the more popular side and for this total to creep up across the board leading into Sunday. 

Super Bowl 2023

Here's a look at some of the more popular Super Bowl prop bets across all of the best sportsbooks to help you get ready for The Big Game after the Conference Championships.

Need help keeping track of your Super Bowl prop bets? Use our printable Super Bowl prop bet sheet (available once the Super Bowl matchup is set)!

Check out our best NFL betting sites:

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Written By:
Neil Parker
A lifelong Cowboys, Cubs, Maple Leafs and Gators supporter, Neil has been covering sports in print and online since 2011. His past stops include USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook and RotoWire among others. He's a graduate of St. Thomas University and Acadia University and spends ample time at KenWo Golf Club.