2022 AFC/NFC Championship Predictions

After an incredible weekend of NFL Football last weekend, we have reached the AFC/NFC Championship games.    Here’s all you need to know for the week as we head to Superbowl LVI at Wannamakeabet.com

• Advice for coming from behind to win your league – With only three games left, it still not time to panic.  But there’s no more room for error.  Take these tips to the final weekend and Super Bowl.
  • Stick to large straight bets if possible
  • If you’re chasing from way behind, think of the least likely outcome of each game and bet into it
  • Parlays pay more than reverses
  • Teasers are great for getting you to the dance but straight bets and parlays win leagues.
  • Resist the urge to go all in until the final game.  You always want to have some gas in the tank.  There’s something to be said for finishing in the money and winning back your entry fee if the hill is too high to climb.
• Monthly Leagues Ending – The January NFL and All Sports League have received their final 50K for the month.  Those leagues end on Sunday and Monday respectively.  There’s a full card of games across five sports this weekend, good luck getting to the top of the mountain.  Any questions about prizes and collecting your cash, click here.
• Predictions for AFC/NFC Championship Games- See below

Predictions

Before we begin, can we all just acknowledge that last weekend was a perfect example of why Wannamakeabet.com is the best sports betting site/concept on the Internet! Every game was a coin-toss and it just highlights how nearly impossible it is to predict the winners of these games.  And how betting real money is so perilous.  And if any of you are betting real money (I’m sure this is true for most of us) the difference in emotional balance between real money action and WANNA is like night and day.

That said, after perhaps the most exciting weekend of NFL football ever played in our lifetimes, we have arrived at the final weekend before Super Bowl LVI.  Last week was absolutely epoch action.  All four games came down to the final possession and all games ended with a walk-off score.  The Bengals kicked a game winning field goal on Saturday to beat the #1 seeded Titans.  Then the 49ers did the same thing after a blocked punt in the night cap to beat the #1 NFC seeded Packers in icy Lambeau.  Then on Sunday afternoon Tom Brady and the Bucs rallied from 24 points down in the 4th quarter to tie the game, only to see the Rams kick a game winning field goal with no time left to win the game.  And finally, on Sunday night, the Bills/Chiefs treated us to possibly the best NFL game ever played that went to overtime where Travis Kelce scored a TD to seal the win for the Chiefs.   The commish went 2-2 in his handicapping effort, which isn’t bad considering every single game was a coin toss.   And now let’s move to our 2022 AFC/NFC Championship Predictions.

Kansas City Chiefs – 7 over Cincinnati Bengals

I have been wrong about the Bengals for the past month as they continue their improbable run to the AFC Championship game on Sunday afternoon in Arrowhead.  It started with me picking the Chiefs the last time these two teams played in week 17 on January 2nd.   In that game, the Chiefs jumped out to a 28-17 lead at halftime and appeared to be cruising to another victory and a #1 seed in the AFC.  But they took their foot off the gas in the second half and only scored a field goal and eventually lost 34-31. That won’t happen again this week.  And now we have revenge on top of all the regular motivations.   Despite the scoring bonanza that happened at the end of the Bills game last week, the Chiefs defense has been fantastic the second half of the season.  And the playbook for stopping the Bengals was revealed last week.  Blitz.  And that came from one of the weaker pass rushes in the league.   Beside Baker Mayfield, nobody was sacked more off pressures than Joe Burrow this season.  The offensive line is just sub-standard.  And the Titans were able to sack Burrow 8 times last week.  The Chiefs DC Spagnolo will be sending them all day on Sunday as he loves to gamble.  The difference in this weeks game is that if the Bengals break through with catches and touchdowns to their dynamic receiving corps(they will), they’ll be facing a much better offense this week and they won’t have their deafening crowd behind them, they’ll have the rowdy Chiefs fans as yet another obstacle.   They’ll also be facing a much better and experienced coach in Andy Reid.  I’m not over complicating this pick or trying to swim upstream.  It’s been a great run for Cincy this year but it all comes to an end on Sunday in Arrowhead as the Chiefs advance to yet another Super Bowl in the Mahomes / Reid era.  Blowout win for the Chiefs.

San Francisco 49ers + 3.5 over LA Rams

The Commish has been riding the NFC West Dogs all season long and it’s only fitting that we put another dime in the jukebox baby and punch a ticket to the Super Bowl with that strategy.  The last time these two teams played, it was the exact same story.  49ers were getting 3 (now getting 3.5) in the final game of the season and they went on game winning drive with nearly no time left to seal the victory and the final playoff spot.  In that game, the Rams could not get a first down to seal the game.  And as we saw last week, the Rams are bad at finishing games.  No lead is safe with them.   And they do it by the skin of their ass quite often.  Even if it’s 24 points.   Or they lose outright, like the last time these two met.  And I expect them to struggle to get the monkey off their back in this moment as well.  Stafford is only slightly less prone to making big mistakes than Jimmy G despite having the better throwing arm.  The defenses are equal (Rams ranked 5th, 49ers 7th).  The offenses has SF slightly better ranked 5th and Rams ranked 9th.   The coaching advantage goes to Shanny based on the fact that the Rams have not beaten them since 2018.   This game comes down to the final possession and I find comfort knowing I’m getting more than a field goal as it all unfolds.  The Rams at home in their new stadium makes for a great narrative and storyline that the media would love to push the next two weeks.  But the 49ers have relished the role of spoiler throughout this post season and look to do it one more time on Sunday evening.  49ers cover or win outright and remind us all that they are truly California’s team.

Good luck with your selections!

Commish