2022 AFC Championship Game odds, spread, line: Chiefs vs. Bengals picks, predictions by expert who's 24-8
Fri, Jan 28, 2022
NFL News (AP)
The Kansas City Chiefs will try to continue their recent success and advance to their third consecutive Super Bowl when they face the upstart Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 AFC Championship Game on Sunday. The Chiefs (14-5), who are in the NFL playoff bracket for the seventh consecutive season, are 2-2 in AFC Championship Games, including 2-1 over the past three seasons. Kansas City won three AFL titles, including one as the Dallas Texans, prior to the 1970 merger. The Bengals (12-7), who are making their third title game appearance, advanced to the Super Bowl following after winning their previous two AFC Championship Games.
Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 3 p.m. ET. Kansas City is a seven-point favorite in the latest Chiefs vs. Bengals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 54.5. Before you make any Bengals vs. Chiefs picks or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsTek's top Chiefs expert, Larry Hartstein, has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Entering the 2021 campaign, Hartstein was 351-291 all-time on NFL sides, including 326-280 against the spread. He is returning more than $2,200 for $100 bettors.
In addition, Hartstein has an amazing 24-8 record on his last 32 against-the-spread picks involving Kansas City, returning $1,500. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has locked in another confident against the spread pick for Bengals vs. Chiefs on Sunday. You can only see it at SportsTek. Here are the NFL odds and trends for Bengals vs. Chiefs:
- Chiefs vs. Bengals spread: Kansas City -7
- Chiefs vs. Bengals over-under: 54.5 points
- Chiefs vs. Bengals money line: Cincinnati +270, Kansas City -340
- CIN: Bengals are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games
- KC: Over has hit in seven straight Chiefs games
Why the Chiefs can cover
Kansas City has had strong play from tight end Travis Kelce all season long. In last week's win over the Buffalo Bills, Kelce had eight catches for 96 yards, including the game-winning TD in overtime. He will be looking for his sixth playoff game in a row with 95 or more receiving yards and has a touchdown catch in five of his last six postseason games. During the regular season, Kelce tied for the lead among tight ends with nine receiving touchdowns and ranked second with 92 catches and 1,125 receiving yards.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill led the Chiefs with 11 catches for 150 yards and a score last week. He will be looking for his eighth playoff game in a row with 50 or more receiving yards and third in a row with a receiving touchdown. Hill led the team during the regular season with 111 receptions for 1,239 yards (11.2 average) and had nine touchdowns. He registered 13 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a season-high 75-yarder, and converted 75 first downs. He also had 444 yards after the catch.
Why the Bengals can cover
Quarterback Joe Burrow has been on fire during the postseason and leads the offense by completing 52 of 71 passes (73.2 percent) for 592 yards and two touchdowns. He has been picked off once, but has a rating of 101.4. Burrow opened the NFL playoffs 2022 with a brilliant performance in a 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards (70.6 percent).
Burrow's top target this postseason has been wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. The rookie has 14 receptions for 225 yards (16.1 average) and three explosive plays of 20 yards or more with 111 yards after the catch. He has also converted 10 first downs and has rushed four times for 25 yards (6.3 average) in the 2022 NFL playoffs, converting two more first downs. In the Week 17 matchup against Kansas City, Chase went wild, catching 11 passes for 266 yards (24.2 average) and three touchdowns.
How to make Chiefs vs. Bengals picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the Bengals vs. Chiefs spread to back, at SportsTek.
Who wins Bengals vs. Chiefs in the NFL playoffs 2022? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsTek now to see which side of the Bengals vs. Chiefs spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the expert who's a blistering 24-8 on Chiefs picks.
