With the Chargers, Ravens & Browns Losing in Week 3, Can You Bet Anyone Other Than the Patriots or Chiefs to Win AFC?
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: March 27, 2020 at 2:43 pm EDTPublished:
- Oddsmakers heavily favor the Patriots (+160) and Chiefs (+275) in their AFC Championship odds
- New England has played in eight straight AFC title games
- Which AFC teams offer the most betting value after Week 3?
The Los Angeles Chargers have lost two in a row. The Cleveland Browns are 0-2 at home. The Baltimore Ravens came up well short in their Week 3 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is there any team that is capable of running with the Chiefs or New England Patriots in the hunt for AFC supremacy?
Latest AFC Championship odds say no, putting New England (+160) and Kansas City (+275) in a class by themselves.
2019-20 AFC Championship Odds
| Team | Over/Under |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +160 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +275 |
| Baltimore Ravens | +1000 |
| Houston Texans | +1100 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1200 |
| Cleveland Browns | +1400 |
| Buffalo Bills | +1600 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +1600 |
*Odds taken on 09/20/19.Â
Patriots AFC Championship Games
The Patriots have turned the AFC Championship Game into the NFL’s version of Wrestlemania, with Tom Brady and company playing the role of Hulk Hogan, minus the tights.
On this day in 2001, Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe took a brutal hit vs. the Jets and was forced out of the game.
An unknown sixth-round pick with one career pass came in.
Everything changed. pic.twitter.com/aAYsjErqJe
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 23, 2019
New England has appeared in eight successive AFC title games. Every year, it seems, there’s a new challenger being built up as heir to the throne. The Pats have faced six different teams in that eight-year span, and just once has there been a rematch. That came in 2011-12 and 2012-13, when New England and the Ravens faced each other in consecutive AFC Championship battles.
Patriots' defense is ranked No. 1 in …. everything pic.twitter.com/1Z9quWVKlD
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 23, 2019
Unbeaten this season, the Patriots have allowed an astonishing 5.7 points per game so far. New England is the #1 NFL defense (199 yards per game), and also #1 at stopping both the run (36.7 ypg) and the pass (162.3 ypg).
No Sophomore Jinx
The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have picked up right where they left off. Reigning NFL MVP Mahomes leads the NFL in touchdown passes (10), passing yardage (1,195) and passer rating (134.9). His TD-to-interception ratio is 10-0.
In Sunday’s showdown with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Mahomes was the clear winner. Jackson didn’t pass for a single TD.
The #Chiefs have scored more points in the second quarter alone this season (57) than seven other teams have in three total games.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) September 23, 2019
The Chiefs are first in the NFL in passing yardage (392.3 ypg) and second in the league in total offense (487 ypg). The only place they lack, what again could prove the Achilles heel that keeps them from reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl 4, is a defense that ranks a dismal 24th in the NFL (395.7 ypg).
Is A Rematch Likely?
That Patriots-Ravens rematch was the fourth since the AFC Championship Game was born in 1970. Pittsburgh and Oakland met three times in a row in 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1976-77. The Steelers and the Houston Oilers clashed in 1978-79 and 1979-80. The Browns and Denver Broncos butted heads in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
1/7/79 Hou@Pit – AFC Championship
Opening kickoff3 plays, Oilers starting offense, Steelers starting defense.
Houston goes three and out. pic.twitter.com/imWI30lZsw
— Steel City Star (@steelcitystar) February 1, 2019
That works out to a 10.2 percent chance of the Chiefs and Patriots facing each other in this season’s AFC title game.
Who Could Turn Off The Instant Replay?
It seems like nothing ever changes with the Chargers. Going back to the days of Dan Fouts and Air Coryell, they tease but they don’t deliver on their promise.
The Browns look to be more hype than hope. Houston’s offensive line can’t keep other teams from assaulting QB Deshaun Watson, who’s been sacked 12 times.
The lone hope for an AFC sleeper remains the Ravens. They still rank #1 in the NFL in points per game (36.7) and total offense (511.7 ypg).
If you’re looking for an AFC play with a price, the Ravens are the best bet.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens (+1000)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
