The road to Super Bowl LVIII leads through Baltimore, as the Ravens have earned the right to host the AFC Championship Game following their trouncing of the Houston Texans on Saturday.
The Chiefs survived a nail-biter in Buffalo last night, besting Buffalo by three points on the road. It’s only fitting that Kansas City makes it to the AFC Championship. Why?
Because until further notice, any team in the American Football Conference seeking to advance to the Super Bowl should have to beat the Chiefs. KC has taken the place that has been held by the New England Patriots for nearly two decades and is now the gatekeeper in the AFC.
The odds for betting on the Baltimore Ravens place them as 3.5-point favorites, but the Chiefs have already proven that they can beat a top AFC team on the road as an underdog.
AFC Championship Betting Line
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens
Chiefs Point Spread: +3.5
Chiefs Moneyline: +150
Ravens Point Spread: -3.5
Ravens Moneyline: -175
Over/Under: 44.5
Betting on the Chiefs to cover will require them to lose by a field goal or less. KC was a road underdog versus Buffalo in the Divisional Round. NFL Sportsbooks got it wrong last weekend, but did they get it right for this Sunday?
Weather will top out at 49 degrees in Baltimore with a low of 37 on gameday. There’s also a 50% chance of rain throughout the day. Both franchises are built to withstand the elements, with stout defenses, solid running games, and conservative passing with the occasional downfield throw.
The Ravens offense scores an average of 28.72 points per game compared to the Chiefs average of 22.32 PPG. Baltimore’s defense allows 16.11 PPG, while Kansas City lets up 17.11.
On paper, the Ravens have everything going for them. What they don’t have is quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who routinely creates chicken salad out of chicken poo. His track record is undeniable – he’s only lost in the NFL Playoffs to Tom Brady-led teams.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is special, and he is the odds leader for betting on the NFL MVP and the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.
Super Bowl 58 MVP Odds
Lamar Jackson +220
Brock Purdy +325
Christian McCaffrey +350
Patrick Mahomes +375
Jared Goff +900
Deebo Samuel +3300
The SB MVP odds suggest that not only will the Ravens beat the Chiefs, but they’ll also go on to win Super Bowl LVIII. Their SB opponent will most likely be the San Franciso 49ers, but here’s why the above odds don’t actually mean that the Ravens will win.
Brock Purdy and Christain McCaffrey of the 49ers are splitting the vote. If McCaffrey wasn’t such a significant contributor on offense, Purdy would likely hold MVP odds that were much closer to Jackson’s or perhaps higher.
Kickoff for the AFC Championship Game is this Sunday at 3 p.m. on CBS.
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