Chiefs Favorites for AFC Championship Game

The Kansas City Chiefs will be aiming to clinch their first trip to the Super Bowl in 50 years when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in this season’s AFC Championship Game as 7.5-point home favorites on the NFL betting odds.

Kansas City displayed record-setting form last weekend, overcoming a 24-0 deficit to post a convincing 51-31 victory over the Houston Texans in AFC Divisional Round action, and now rides a seven-game straight-up win streak into Sunday’s matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.

With their win over Houston as 10-point chalk the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to overcome a deficit of 20 or more points to claim victory by 20 or more points in playoff action. More importantly to bettors, with Sunday afternoon’s victory the Chiefs are now undefeated against the NFL spread in each of their past seven games, and improved to 12-1 SU in their past 13 contests while favored by seven or more points.

The Chiefs are also on the rise on the Super Bowl odds as they prepare to make a second straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game. The team lagged behind both Baltimore and San Francisco in Super Bowl betting going into the Divisional Round. But with the Ravens suffering a stunning upset loss to Tennessee, and the Kansas City offense now firing on all cylinders, the Chiefs are now set as a +135 favorite on the NFL odds to claim their first Super Bowl crown since 1970.

While Kansas City hopes to maintain the momentum that produced seven touchdowns against the Texans, the team has also played stellar defense in recent weeks. The Chiefs allowed just 11.5 points per game in their six victories prior to last weekend, and limited opponents to nine or fewer points on three occasions during that stretch, and twice on home turf.

 

Titans Coming Off Huge Upset Over the Ravens

However, the Chiefs could have their hands full against the Titans, who travel to Kansas City after extending their Cinderella playoff run with a stunning 28-12 win in Baltimore as 10-point underdogs last weekend. Tennessee has emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl threat during a three-game SU win streak that also includes a 20-13 upset of the defending-champion New England Patriots as 4.5-point road underdogs in Wild Card Weekend action.

Overall, the Titans have won five in a row on the road while surrendering just 15.4 points per game. Tennessee had opened the season on a 2-4 SU run, but has won nine of 12 since. Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill and rusher Derrick Henry have powered the Titans’ resurgence. The team’s turnaround coincided with head coach Mike Vrabel’s decision to turn over starting quarterback duties to Tannehill, who has connected on 25 total touchdown passes this season, while running for four additional scores.

Henry has enjoyed a breakthrough in the Titans backfield. The 26-year-old running back out of Alabama has rewritten the NFL record book during his spectacular run, becoming the first player in NFL history to run for over 180 yards in three straight games. Henry has also set the mark for the most rushing yards in the first two games of the playoffs, with 377, and has emerged as a +1000 wager to claim Super Bowl MVP honors in NFL betting.

And while the Titans needed a Week 17 victory in Houston just to nail down a playoff spot, they travel to Kansas City full of confidence after knocking off the Chiefs by a 35-32 score while pegged as 5.5-point home underdogs in Week 10.

Tennessee also holds an important historical edge over the Chiefs. The Titans have won and covered in four straight meetings, and have held the Chiefs to 21 or fewer points in five of their last six visits to Kansas City including a 22-21 win as 8.5-point underdogs on Wild Card Weekend two years ago.

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