A trip to the Super Bowl will be on the line on Sunday when the Buffalo Bills visit the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
The Chiefs are coming off one of the most emotional wins in franchise history. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes got hurt halfway through the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns, and backup Chad Henne had to step in.
Henne threw an interception but made the two most crucial plays down the stretch to send Kansas City to its third straight AFC Championship Game.
The Bills are coming off a surprising victory themselves. The Bills were favored in their game against the Baltimore Ravens, but nobody expected them to win 17-3.
Josh Allen continues to build on his MVP-caliber regular season as he’s thrown for over 500 yards and three touchdowns this postseason. If there’s one team that can storm the Chiefs Kingdom and leave with a win, it’s the Buffalo Bills.
Will Mahomes Be Ready?
Mahomes suffered a concussion in the third quarter of Sunday’s win against the Browns. While he has cleared significant steps in the concussion protocol, he is not officially the starter just yet.
Mahomes threw for 225 yards in the Chiefs’ win over the Bills earlier this season, but he’ll be looking to get his favorite receivers out in the open field a bit more in this one.
The Chiefs are getting rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire back from a nagging injury that has kept him out for the last few weeks. Fortunately, the rest of the key pieces for the Chiefs are all still healthy, like tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and defensive end Chris Jones.
Taking Their Chance
The Bills have now beaten the Indianapolis Colts and the Ravens on their way to their first AFC Championship Game appearance in a generation.
The Bills won two playoff games by holding their opponents to 27 total points and the stellar play from Allen. The star quarterback has yet to turn the ball over in the playoffs, and with the Bills defense playing like it has been all season, this Bills team will not be an easy out.
Of course, the Bills are going to have to score some points to knock out the champs, and that’s where Stefon Diggs must come through. In the first meeting with Kansas City this year, Diggs finished with six catches for just 46 yards, his second-lowest number of yards in a game this season.
If the Bills are going to hang with the Chiefs’ explosive offense, they must have Diggs making some big plays.
Odds and Analysis
Despite the questions about Mahomes’ health, Kansas City is a three-point favorite in this game. The over/under has been set at 54 points.
The Chiefs definitely have the experience edge in this one, having appeared in the last two AFC Championship Games. But they also have more of the pressure, as the defending champions expected to move forward.
Buffalo has been playing great football for the last couple of months, and the Bills are definitely brimming with confidence heading into this one.
My pick is this game is the Chiefs to come out on top, but the Bills to stay close enough to cover the spread.
For coverage of the upcoming Super Bowl, check out our Super Bowl Betting Guide.