NFL Conference Championship Betting
*The following article contains information that is not representative of the opinions of CommRadio. It solely expresses the opinions of Jonathan Hartley.*
After a great NFL Divisional Round last weekend, the Conference Championships are set.
When choosing what bets to place Sunday, consider these options:
Bengals vs. Chiefs
CIN -2.5 (-108)
The Bengals are coming off of a dominant 27-10 win against the Bills last week.
On offense, the plan was clearly to keep Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen off the field and put together long, time consuming drives. This included running the ball often, even without three of their starting offensive lineman.
Running back Joe Mixon rushed 20 times for 105 yards, his second highest mark of the season. Quarterback Joe Burrow was also effective, completing 23-of-36 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, the Bengals put constant pressure on Allen. Although they only sacked him once, the pressure was still enough to throw Allen off his game, as he completed only 25-of-42 attempts for 265 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
The Bengals defense also held star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a measly four receptions on 10 targets for 35 yards and held the Bills to a total of 63 rushing yards.
The Bengals should carry the same game plan over to this week, as they face the best quarterback in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is also dealing with a high ankle sprain, limiting his ability to extend plays and make his signature throws outside the pocket.
All things considered, the Bengals should be able to take care of the Chiefs and a hobbled Mahomes and advance to their second straight Super Bowl with a win by three points or more.
Ja’Marr Chase Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-105)
Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is clearly Joe Burrow’s favorite target. Dating back to their time at LSU together, the duo has been extremely hard to slow down.
This was on display again last week, as the two connected for a 28 yard touchdown in the first quarter. Facing a worse secondary against the Chiefs this week, Chase is likely to remain hot and find the endzone again.
Jerrick McKinnon (+175) Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Chiefs running back Jerrick McKinnon has emerged as one of Mahomes’ favorite red zone targets late in the season. Prior to last week, McKinnon had scored nine touchdowns in six games, scoring at least one in each of those games.
With Mahomes’ mobility limited by a high ankle sprain this week, the Chiefs should be looking to get the ball out of his hands quickly with a bunch of short passes and checkdowns. This boosts McKinnon’s chances of finding the end zone again this week.
49ers vs. Eagles
PHI -2.5 (-115)
The Eagles advanced to the NFC Conference Championship in dominating fashion, beating the Giants 38-7.
Questions about Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts’ health were the topic of discussion heading into last week’s game. Hurts suffered a shoulder sprain in Week 15 against the Bears, which caused him to miss two games. He returned to action in Week 18 against the Giants to help his team clinch the NFC’s number one seed, but he still wasn’t 100%.
Hurts looked just fine last week though, completing 16-of-24 attempts for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles’ also dominated on the ground, rushing for 268 yards and three touchdowns as a team.
The Eagles’ defense was also dominant, giving up only 227 total yards and sacking Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones five times.
49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy struggled last week against a good Cowboys’ defense, completing 19-of-29 attempts for 214 yards. Star running back Christian McCaffery also appeared to hurt his calf during the game, which would be a huge blow for the 49ers’ offense if he is limited at all this week.
Purdy and the 49ers face an even better defense this week and may struggle again, and the Eagles should advance to the Super Bowl with a win by three points or more.
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Jonathan Hartley is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jdh6293@psu.edu.
