Sport
NFL Conference Championship preview: One win away from the Super Bowl
Just four teams remain in the NFL’s postseason, and the divisional round saw every game decided by the final kick, at the earliest.
It was a fantastic round of football, and this weekend’s Conference Championship games will see who takes to the field in Super Bowl LVI on February 13th.
We preview the two huge games below.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
The legend of Joe Burrow continues to grow, with the second-year quarterback leading his team to a thrilling victory over the first-seeded Tennessee Titans in Tennessee to book the Bengals’ first appearance in the AFC championship game since 1988, when they ended up losing in the Super Bowl.
It’s been a hugely impressive year for the Bengals, regardless of what happens against Kansas City, and the future is very bright for them. However, they face a huge challenge here, despite beating the Chiefs in the regular season just a few weeks ago. They go into the game as 29/10 underdogs, with a spread of 7. Their offensive firepower should keep them in the game, and it could be another storied chapter in Burrow’s exceptional footballing tale to date.
There’s little more to be said about the Chiefs’ game against Buffalo that hasn’t already been said. One of the greatest games ever, Patrick Mahomes performed miracles and somehow the Chiefs made it through to yet another AFC Championship match in the Mahomes era.
Kansas City will benefit from experience at this stage, as well as a raucous Arrowhead crowd, and enter as worthy favourites at 2/7. In what should be another offensive shootout, all the signs point to the Chiefs progressing through to another Super Bowl, with them to cover the -7 spread available at 20/23.
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
A California derby for a place in the Super Bowl, hosted at the same stadium that will host this game. The Rams go in with home advantage, knowing that a win here will see them return to the same venue in two weeks’ time.
The San Francisco 49ers have battled through some tough games, beating both Green Bay and the Cowboys on the road, both thought to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And now a conference rival that they beat on the final day of the regular season stands in their way. An impressive defence and mistake-shy offence usually leads to good results in the playoffs, and the 49ers have found a recipe that works for them. They enter as 33/20 underdogs to progress.
The Rams have clearly been in win-now mode all season, as evidenced with their acquisitions of superstars Odell Beckham Jr and Von Miller during the season, and in the playoffs these pick-ups have borne fruit. Miller is a wrecking ball off the edge, while OBJ has come alive in big moments. That’s not to take away from Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp or Aaron Donald, who have all been exceptional this season, and are just one win away from a home Super Bowl.
The LA side are 20/37 favourites, while the handicap is 3.5. With so much at stake for the Rams, who will be at home, expect them to cover the spread at 20/21 and remove any chance for San Francisco to stage a late comeback, as they did against Green Bay.
