AFC Championship: 2 early bets for Ravens vs. Chiefs

It's official. The Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game (Sunday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m. ET, CBS). We can't wait for this star-studded showdown, so let's target two bets for the title game.

Chiefs +3 (+100 FanDuel)

Seriously? We're doing this again?

With an outright win against the Buffalo Bills as a 2.5-point underdog, Patrick Mahomes is now 9-1-1 against the spread and 8-3 straight up as a dog. The Ravens deserve to be favored, yes, but if you're going to give us Mahomes as a full +3 against anyone, we're going to take it.

The Chiefs offense, which struggled down the stretch of the season and didn't look explosive all year, has come to life in the playoffs. They averaged 7.7 yards against the Bills, and they did it in a balanced effort through the air and on the ground. That's exactly what you need against this stellar Ravens defense. 

Over 45 (-110 DraftKings)

If we like the Chiefs in this game, it makes sense that we also like the over.

Baltimore should be able to move the ball consistently against this Chiefs defense. Kansas City is stout against the pass, but it can be vulnerable on the ground. The Bills racked up 182 rushing yards in the divisional round, and the Ravens will employ a similar strategy using Lamar Jackson as a piece of the running game. 

Baltimore has scored at least 33 points in four of their last five games in which the starters played. This offense is on fire right now, and Mahomes will be able to keep up for the second straight week.