Early NFL Conference Championship Betting Odds, Lines, and Picks

The Divisional Round provided an incredible weekend of football. Three games were decided by field goals at the end of regulation and an instant classic that went to overtime on Sunday night. We track the opening lines and totals for the Conference Championship games in the NFL playoffs.

One of the most memorable weekends of playoff football has just wrapped up, setting the stage for the AFC and NFC Championship Games on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs won a sensational overtime game against the Buffalo Bills and that narrow victory still sends the Chiefs to the AFC Championship as 7-point favorites against a Cincinnati Bengals team that scraped out a close win at the top-seeded Tennessee Titans.

In the NFC Championship Game, the Los Angeles Rams open as 3.5-point favorites against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers won both regular-season matchups between the NFC West rivals. The Rams looked like world-beaters before giving up their lead at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, only to respond with a late field goal to win. San Francisco needed a blocked punt for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to tie the Green Bay Packers, setting up their own late field goal to advance. Neither team had an easy time.

Here’s a look at the early NFL odds, lines, and totals for the Conference Championship games, along with my picks based on the opening lines (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale):

Early NFL Odds, Lines, and Picks for Conference Championship Games

Bengals (12-7 SU, 12-7 ATS, 8-11 O/U) vs. Chiefs (14-5 SU, 10-9 ATS, 12-7 O/U)

Opening line: Chiefs -7
Opening total: 53.5

A hard-fought 19-16 win at Tennessee puts the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1988 season. It has been a while. While QB Joe Burrow has been stellar and rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase is a playmaker, the Bengals are facing a challenge keeping Burrow upright. He was sacked nine times by the Titans and the offensive line was not to blame for all of those.

Ultimately, the Bengals are going to be underdogs, but they have at least a puncher's chance because they have a stud quarterback with quality weapons on offense. They were tough enough defensively to win the battle in Tennessee. Kansas City is a different animal, however.  

The Chiefs should have been knocked out by the Bills in an all-time great game on Sunday. However, a tactical gaffe and some soft Bills defense in the waning moments of regulation paved the way for Kansas City to tie the game, leading to an overtime victory. QB Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and receiver Tyreek Hill are all elite players at their respective positions. They give the Chiefs a chance to go score-for-score with any team.

When the Bengals and Chiefs met in Week 17 of the regular season, the Bengals emerged with a 34-31 victory. It was a crucial win for Cincinnati, but one that also ensures that the Chiefs will be ready for them.

Can the line move off seven? Possibly. The Chiefs are favorites not only to win this game, but they have the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl (+125 at Fan Duel), too. If that evaluation gains some traction, perhaps the line slides to 7.5 at some point during the week.

Pick: Bengals +7 (★★★), Over 53.5 (★★★)

49ers (12-7 SU, 11-8 ATS, 8-11 O/U) vs. Rams (14-5 SU, 10-9 ATS, 10-8-1 O/U) 

Opening line: Rams -3.5
Opening total: 46.5

A stunning blocked punt for a touchdown brought the 49ers into a late tie at Green Bay. Kicker Robbie Gould's field goal at the gun completed the stunning comeback. That does not seem like a recipe for future success, but it does show how resilient this 49ers team has been and how their defense can keep them in the game.

San Francisco won both regular-season matchups with the Rams, taking a 31-10 decision at home in Week 10 and then, with their playoff lives on the line, rallying from a 17-point deficit to win 27-24 in overtime in Week 18.

The Rams were well on their way to delivering the most impressive performance of the Divisional Round. They held a 27-3 lead midway through the third quarter against the Buccaneers; however, the Rams could not hold on to the football and the Buccaneers made an incredible comeback to tie the game at 27. The Rams then drove quickly into field goal position to escape with the win.

So which Rams team shows up in the NFC Championship? Is it the team that roared out to commanding leads against the 49ers in Week 18 and Buccaneers in the playoffs, or is it the team that surrendered enormous leads in both games?

There has been some initial movement at some books. The line has varied between three and four points but it appears to have settled at 3.5 on Monday morning. It could get nudged to a flat field goal at some point. 

Pick: Rams -3.5 (★★), Over 46.5 (★★★)

See all picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

NFL Championship game odds from 1/24/2022 at 10:04 a.m. ET.

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