And then there were four! Check out the finest AFC and NFC Championship predictions from our friends at FanDuel for 49ers-Eagles and Bengals-Chiefs.
Another Divisional Playoff weekend, another disappointing exit by the Buffalo Bills, your preseason futures betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. All told, emerging from the Saturday-Sunday doubleheader we just witnessed, are the recriminations stinkier in Orchard Park or in Arlington? If there’s a Cowboys fan in your life, just call them to say hello. DO IT.
When you can confirm their mental and emotional wellness, we welcome you to pivot to an upcoming Sunday slate that shall determine the champions of the AFC and NFC.
And what does that mean? Yes — that we’ve got some more picks and safe, legal wagers to lock in before Sunday’s conference title games. Before two tickets to Super Bowl LVII shall be punched, we rang our best friends at FanDuel for a full elite-level overview of the latest odds and projections for both gigantic matchups this weekend: The Eagles-Niners NFC Championship and the Chiefs-Bengals AFC Championship.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Check out Boardroom’s FanDuel-powered rundown weekend’s Playoff slate with our piping-hot NFL conference championship predictions.
Click here for each team’s latest odds to win Super Bowl LVII.
NFC & AFC Championship Predictions 2023
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: 49ers vs. Eagles (Jan. 29, 3 p.m. ET)
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles put on a master class against the Giants. Brock Purdy and the 49ers systematically suffocated the Cowboys. Whichever QB wins is going to have a hell of an argument to make at the negotiating table come extension time — and for Hurts, that time could be mere weeks away.
As Adam Taylor McKillop writes at TheDuel to kick off our penultimate NFL Playoff predictions:
I think the NFL world is a little too quick to crown the Eagles off that blowout win over the New York Giants. The Giants are at least one tier below the Cowboys in terms of level of competition, though, having earned their first playoff win over a similarly fraudulent Minnesota Vikings team.
The 49ers, who rank No. 2 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC in Football Outsiders’ total DVOA metric, knocked off the No. 6 team in DVOA in the divisional round, while Philly took care of the 21st-ranked squad.
So not letting that one win cloud our view, we have two teams that are neck-and-neck at the top of the DVOA rankings. They also tied for fourth in the NFL by averaging 5.9 yards per play on offense and allowed a similarly low 4.8 (Philly) and 5.0 (San Fran) yards per play to their opponents.
This matchup is really as close as it gets, but I have to side slightly with the favorite. Divisional Round aside, both teams’ most difficult wins this season have been against opponents of a similar caliber, and we just have a much bigger sample size of Jalen Hurts‘ dominance than we do with Brock Purdy. Purdy could very well be the next big thing, but in such a close matchup that’s not something I’m ready to bank on just yet.
Eagles vs. 49ers prediction: Eagles 17, 49ers 14
Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Bengals vs. Chiefs (Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m. ET)
The rematch is here. The Bengals outfoxed the Chiefs last year only to fall short in Super Bowl LVI against the Rams, but after an impressive road win against the Bills last weekend, you’re not out of your gourd if you’re ready to anoint them as a team of destiny; if you’re counting, they’ve won 10 games in a row to date, with their last L coming on Halloween.
As Adam Taylor McKillop writes at TheDuel to cap off our NFL conference championship predictions:
Both of these sides are on special runs. Cincinnati has won 10 consecutive games and the Chiefs are winners of six straight. It’s a classic rematch of the 2022 AFC Championship Game, and if this year’s version is any similar, expect this game to go down to the wire.
We’re talking two of the best quarterbacks in football battling it out for bragging rights. Think Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady, but the 2023 edition.
While we can’t ignore the playoff magic that Burrow puts together, and this game may truly be a toss-up, how can Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs miss out on the Super Bowl for a second straight year? This team has been to five straight conference title games and looks to make it three Super Bowl trips in the last four.
It felt like the Chiefs took last year’s AFC Championship loss personally, too. While they did lose Tyreek Hill, the franchise went out and led the league in points scored, yards gained and passing yards.
We’re taking the Chiefs, in a tight one. Even with Mahomes suffering through an ankle sprain, he shows up with a classic performance.
Chiefs vs. Bengals Prediction: Chiefs 30, Bengals 27
Click here to read the full story at FanDuel.
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