Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens: AFC Championship Game QB props & Super Bowl clinching prediction
Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes?
All eyes will be on these two MVP quarterbacks as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium.
All season long, Jackson has been playing like a man on a mission. With Super Bowl or bust aspirations in his vision, the one man who stands in his way is Mahomes who is looking to be the first quarterback since the legendary Tom Brady to lead a team to back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
AFC Championship Game a heavyweight matchup between two MVP game changers
Two men on a mission, two men who have been counted out at some point in their career and two men with a mutual respect. To be the best, you got to beat the best, Jackson knows to make it over the hump, he must outplay and keep Mahomes on the ropes in this heavyweight matchup.
“I believe just two greats – up-and-coming greats – just going toe to toe, like a heavyweight fight. Heavyweight matchup,” Jackson said. “That’s just what I see.”
On the flipside, Mahomes knows the challenge his team is facing going up against a dual-threat supreme like Lamar Jackson.
“He’s going to be the MVP for a reason,” Mahomes said this week, via USA Today. “He goes out there, he leads his team, he scores, he runs, he throws, he does whatever it takes to win, and that’s what the greats do.”
Although the focus is on Jackson vs Mahomes, it really comes down to the defenses and how each squad limits the opposing quarterback. Both defenses have shined during these playoffs, but neither defense has had to contend with the magic and clutch play-making skills of these two quarterbacks. Jackson has the better weapons, especially with the return of Mark Andrews, but if Mahomes has that man named Travis Kelce, the Chiefs offense can’t be counted out.
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May the best man win. Or, the better man on this particular day.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens kickoff details: How to watch, betting odds
Date: Sunday, January 28, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Venue: M&T Bank Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: Fubo TV (try for free)
Betting Odds: Baltimore Ravens -4 (via DraftKings)
Chiefs QB player props: Bet Patrick Mahomes UNDER 244.5 pass yards (-115)
Don’t get me wrong, Mahomes will make plays passing the ball. There will just be stretches of the game where he will struggle to make connections with his receivers other than Travis Kelce. The Baltimore Ravens defense will be hungry and motivated to slow Mahomes. While I would bet the under on passing yards, I do believe Mahomes will connect for a couple of touchdown passes, so bet OVER 1.5 (-140) for touchdown passes.
Ravens QB player props: Bet Lamar Jackson OVER 1.5 (+130) touchdown passes
With the return of red zone target Mark Andrews, the Ravens will score in this game. Like Mahomes, Jackson should see some pressure from the Chiefs’ defense, but he’ll still get his in the air and with his feet. I do see him throwing for 3 touchdowns in this game. Another player prop is longest completion. Bet over 32.5 for Jackson, who seems to always connect on a pass 30 yards or over to either Zay Flowers or Odell Beckham Jr.
GameDay Prediction: The NFL narrative this season is trending towards Lamar Jackson escaping his NFL playoff demons and getting his team to the Super Bowl. Everything is set up for that to happen. The Ravens are at home, they get Mark Andrews back and the Chiefs do seem vulnerable, which is what makes this a scary prediction. Both Jackson and Patrick Mahomes will live up to the hype, but it’s going to come down to which defense forces the mistake and that’s where the Ravens’ defense factors in as they will find a way to get to Mahomes and force a costly turnover: Baltimore Ravens 31, Kansas City Chiefs 27.