Just four teams remain standing in the NFL playoffs after a wild weekend of divisional round action. Kansas City was the only favorite to scrape through to the conference championships, following famous underdog triumphs for the Bengals, the 49ers and the Rams.
Cincinnati’s reward for vanquishing number one seed Tennessee is a trip to the Arrowhead Stadium to lock horns with the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. Fierce divisional rivals will then renew hostilities when the Rams welcome the Niners to SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Who will hold their nerve? We have assessed the strengths and weaknesses of all four remaining Super Bowl contenders as an exhilarating season veers towards its conclusion.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are now the clear favorites in the spread betting and fixed odds Super Bowl futures betting at Sporting Index following their pulsating win on Sunday. They are priced at +120 (6/5) to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, followed by the Rams at +200 (2/1), the 49ers at 9/2 (+450) and then the Bengals as rank outsiders at +750 (15/2).
Patrick Mahomes is now 8-2 in playoffs after leading his team back from the brink on Sunday night. There were just 13 seconds left on the clock when the Chiefs QB stepped into the fray, but he produced two quickfire pieces of individual brilliance to put his team in field goal range. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker split the uprights from 49 yards to force overtime, and Mahomes then drove his team to victory with a decisive touchdown in the 42-36 win.
His only two playoff defeats have come against Tom Brady, whose season is over following the Bucs’ surprise loss to the Rams. He edged an epic duel with fellow wunderkind Josh Allen, throwing 33-for-48 for 378 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions, so he will have no fear of a showdown with Cincy’s talented QB Joe Burrow, nor will he be concerned about taking on Matthew Stafford or Jimmy Garopollo at the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs should clinch a third consecutive AFC Championship at the weekend. They choked in the Super Bowl last year, but they have enough quality to win the big game for the second time in three years. They are heavy favorites to beat the Bengals, and they have the talent, the experience, the momentum and the mental strength to get the better of the NFC champion too.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams must somehow find a way to beat the 49ers on Sunday. They lost both regular season games against San Francisco, but can they make it third time lucky?
Los Angeles had the opportunity to prevent the Niners from even reaching the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. However, the game went to overtime and San Francisco clinched a 27-24 win, which saw them snatch a wild card berth.
The Rams went into the playoffs as the champions of an ultra-competitive NFC West, and they lived up to their billing by pulverizing the Cardinals in the wild card round. They were clear underdogs against the Bucs last weekend, but an offensive masterclass from Sean McVay inspired Los Angeles to a 30-27 win.
They are now on the brink of becoming just the second team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Tampa Bay became the first last year, when it beat the Chiefs. Can history repeat itself? If Stafford stays locked in and McVay makes the necessary adjustments to get the better of Kyle Shanahan, they could be headed to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners will be surging with confidence ahead of the NFC Championship game. They ended the season with four wins from five games, and they pulled off an upset on the road against the Cowboys in the divisional round.
The Green Bay Packers were the outright favorites to win the Super Bowl, but San Francisco’s rowdy defense put them to the sword, sacking reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers five times.
The Niners have won their last six games against the Rams. They won 31-10 when the teams clashed in Week 10, followed by that dramatic overtime victory earlier this month.
Niners fans are busy buying up tickets on the secondary market, and Vivid Seats projects that 65% of the fans at SoFi Stadium will be cheering for San Francisco. The 49ers have a psychological advantage over their divisional rivals. They could upset the odds again, but it is hard to imagine them beating the Chiefs at the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Kansas City 34-31 at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 17, courtesy of a last-second field goal from Evan McPherson. Cincinnati is now the only team to beat the Chiefs in their last 12 games.
QB Joe Burrow is on fire right now. He finished the regular season by notching 525 passing yards against the Ravens and then 446 yards against the Chiefs, upstaging Mahomes in the process. Burrow was a little quieter when leading Cincy to victory over the Raiders, but he threw 28-for-37 for 348 yards in the shock win against the Titans.
The Bengals are upbeat about their chances of scalping KC, but this looks like the end of the road for Cincinnati. It has been a great season, as they won their first playoffs game in 33 years and their first away playoff game in franchise history, but the Chiefs’ offense should prove too hot for them to handle.
