Bengals vs. Chiefs: Best bets for the AFC championship game

The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs meet for the second consecutive year in the AFC championship game, but all the momentum is on Cincinnati’s side entering Sunday’s must-watch showdown. Joe Burrow and the Bengals dominated the Bills on the road last weekend, and Patrick Mahomes will not be 100 percent after suffering an ankle injury against the Jaguars.

Ahead of the game, Cincinnati Enquirer sports editor Jason Hoffman and BetFTW’s Prince J. Grimes made their picks for Sunday’s showdown. Both experts are taking the Bengals to cover the spread on the road.

Jason Hoffman: Zac Taylor this week has preached that they don’t have to beat [the Chiefs] a fourth time in a row, they just have to beat them one time in a row, and that’s this week. The Bengals are 3-0 in the last three games against Patrick Mahomes, including last year’s AFC championship game at Arrowhead. It’s hard to bet against them, especially with Mahomes hurt – but he is in a world all of his own as an athlete, so I think it’ll definitely be a close game, but I think the Bengals do pull it out.

Prince J. Grimes: I would take the Bengals up to 3-point favorites in this game…. the Bengals won each of the last two games against the Chiefs by a field goal, and that was with a healthy Mahomes. With an unhealthy Mahomes, I’m just not sure the Chiefs will be able to pull this one out.