The Chiefs opened as one-point favorites over the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, but most of the money is going Cincinnati’s way.
The Bengals are now the favorites, by 1.5 points at most sports books and up to two points at some.
Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury is the obvious explanation for why bettors are putting their money on the Bengals. Although Chiefs coach Andy Reid indicated that Mahomes will play, whether he’ll be healthy enough to play at the high level he usually plays at is another question.
The No. 1 seed is rarely an underdog in the conference championship game, and when it is an injury to the starting quarterback is usually the reason: The last No. 1 seed to be an underdog in a conference championship was the 2017 Eagles, who were three-point underdogs against the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game as a result of starting Nick Foles in place of the injured Carson Wentz. The Eagles won that game, and the Super Bowl.