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It’s a new year, which means the NFL Playoffs is about to begin. This year, though, we have a new playoff format that allowed seven teams from each conference to make the tournament. That makes picking Conference Champions just a tad bit more difficult. Let’s pick out some teams that we think could take it all the way to the Super Bowl from the AFC side. All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Pick
The No. 1 seed on both sides of the bracket are obviously the favorites to win their conferences since the new format only gifted a bye to the single best AFC and NFC teams. The Kansas City Chiefs (-115) are more heavily favored than the Green Bay Packers (+140), and it’s not just because they are the defending champions. It’s virtually impossible poking holes in the Patrick Mahomes-led group, so why try? The Chiefs are my favorite to win a second consecutive AFC Conference Championship, and they should be yours, too.
Sleeper
My sleeper pick arguably has the hardest path to the Super Bowl, but that’s part of the reason I’m siding with them. The Baltimore Ravens (+600) lost to the No. 6 seeded Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round last season in disappointing fashion. They are now presented with an opportunity for revenge in the Wild Card Round against the same Titans. If they win, their path most likely leads to the Chiefs. The first-round bye is very valuable, but it can also have a reverse effect of killing a team’s momentum, something we saw with the Ravens last season. If Lamar Jackson can lead his team to the conference title game after eliminating the defending champs, well, watch out.
Full list of AFC Champion odds
Kansas City Chiefs -115
Buffalo Bills +350
Baltimore Ravens +600
Pittsburgh Steelers +1000
Tennessee Titans +1400
Indianapolis Colts +2000
Cleveland Browns +2200
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