When the NFC have determined who will represent them at the Super Bowl in Arizona in two weeks it will be the turn to find out which AFC side will face them when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game for the second season in a row.
The Bengals got the better of the Chiefs in this match last year but couldn’t get the job done in the Super Bowl. They will be hoping to set another shot at glory up while the Chiefs will go in search of revenge and a return to the big dance of their own.
Kansas City Chiefs
This is a familiar position for the Kansas City Chiefs to be in. This is the fifth year in succession that they have hosted the AFC Championship game. They lost the first one before winning the next two and then losing to the Bengals last year. That means Patrick Mahomes is well versed in the test in front of him but the big question is just how fit is the Kansas City quarterback after the injury which temporarily forced him out of the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
He is set to play in the match but you would imagine the Chiefs might look to run the ball a little more just to ease the pressure on Mahomes as they certainly won’t want him taking too many hits in this game. It is a concern for the Chiefs though because their defence isn’t the most reliable and if this turns into a shootout they are going to need Mahomes to be at 100%. Isiaih Pacheco could be a key man here, particularly if Mahomes’ high ankle sprain hinders him more than the Chiefs are letting on.
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for the NFL! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
Cincinnati Bengals
All season long there has been a feeling that the Cincinnati Bengals have been on a mission to put right what went wrong in the Super Bowl last season. After taking a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of things they have been in super form and have already taken care of two dangerous teams in the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills, the latter on the road which was a great preparation for this match given the similarities between the Bills and the Chiefs.
Cincinnati beat the Bills with classic playoff football. They ran the ball hard and their defence made the plays when they needed to. To be fair, Buffalo gave them a helping hand with some very strange offensive play calling in the snow but the Bengals looked to have them covered anyway. We should expect a lot more running the ball here because the aim will be to allow this Chiefs offense on the field for as little as possible regardless of the ankle of Patrick Mahomes.
Betting
I’m tempted to back the Cincinnati Bengals as underdogs here and it might be that I look back on this match at the end of it and regret not doing so but I suspect this could be one of those matches where the last team to have the ball will win it and if that is Kansas City then I could be toast being on the Bengals. If Cincinnati are going to win this match though I would fully expect Joe Mixon to have a big night and my bet will revolve around the potential of that happening.
Mixon wasn’t available when these two met earlier in the season but his backup rushed for more than 100 yards. Mixon himself rushed for 88 yards in the AFC Championship game last year and the Chiefs have got no better against the run. Anyone facing the Bengals have to work out the lesser of two evils and shut the other one down. You would think they will look to shackle the passing game and with the Bengals offensive line started to get a little strained running the ball is perfect for Cincinnati. Add in the clock management side of it and I expect Mixon to get upwards of 20 carries. If he gets 20 carries like he did last week he needs three yards per carry to cover a 58.5 rushing yards line and that looks more than within his range.
Tips
Back J.Mixon – Over 58.5 rushing yards for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
