NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HOT & NOT
The NFL’s version of the Final Four is set with this Sunday’s conference championships. The four games in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs leaned heavily towards the underdogs at 3-1 straight-up with a perfect 4-0 run against the spread.
However, last weekend’s Divisional Round went chalk SU at 4-0 with three of the favorites also covering ATS.
This sets up a showdown between the top-two seeded teams in both the NFC and the AFC. The early game at 3:05 p.m. on FOX pits the No. 2 Los Angeles Rams on the road as 3.5-point underdogs against the No. 1 New Orleans Saints. The total line for this rematch at Mercedes-Benz Superdome has been set at 57 points.
The Rams got past Dallas 30-22 on Saturday night as seven-point home favorites to improve to 14-3 SU with an 8-7-2 record ATS. They went an even 4-4 ATS on the road this season. The Saints outlasted Philadelphia 20-14 at home, but they could not cover as 8.5-point favorites on BetAnySports’ closing line.
New Orleans (14-3 SU) has failed to cover in five of its last six games to fall to 10-7 ATS. The Rams and Saints met on Nov. 4 in New Orleans with the home team coming out on top 45-35 in a shootout as two-point underdogs. New Orleans has a 4-2 edge both SU and ATS in its last six home games against the Rams and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings in the Superdome.
The AFC Championship on CBS between the 12-5 New England Patriots and the 13-4 Kansas City Chiefs is set for 6:40 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are favored by three points with OnlineSportsBet setting the total line at 56 points.
The Patriots hammered the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 as four-point home favorites on Sunday to advance to their eight-straight AFC Championship. The total went OVER 47.5 points after staying UNDER in eight of their previous nine games.
Kansas City ran past Indianapolis 31-13 as a 4.5-point home favorites in Saturday’s playoff victory. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of the Chiefs’ last nine games. Sunday’s showdown is a rematch from an earlier meeting this season in Foxborough. New England came out on top 43-40 in that shootout as a 3.5-point favorite.
The Patriots have won seven of the last 10 meetings SU and they are 4-2 ATS in their last six road games against the Chiefs. The total has gone OVER in four of the last five matchups.
