2022 AFC Championship Game odds, spread, line: Chiefs vs. Bengals picks, predictions by expert who’s 24-8
The Cincinnati Bengals will try to continue their good fortune against the Kansas City Chiefs when they meet on Sunday in the 2022 AFC Championship Game. The Bengals (12-7), who won the Week 17 matchup over the Chiefs 34-31, have won five of the past six games in the series. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 16-14, but this will be the first matchup between the teams in the NFL playoff bracket. The Chiefs (14-5) are 9-7 all-time in home games against the Bengals.
Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 3 p.m. ET. Kansas City is a seven-point favorite in the latest Chiefs vs. Bengals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 54.5. Before you make any Bengals vs. Chiefs picks or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine’s top Chiefs expert, Larry Hartstein, has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Entering the 2021 campaign, Hartstein was 351-291 all-time on NFL sides, including 326-280 against the spread. He is returning more than $2,200 for $100 bettors.
In addition, Hartstein has an amazing 24-8 record on his last 32 against-the-spread picks involving Kansas City, returning $1,500. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has locked in another confident against the spread pick for Bengals vs. Chiefs on Sunday. You can only see it at SportsLine. Here are the NFL odds and trends for Bengals vs. Chiefs:
- Chiefs vs. Bengals spread: Kansas City -7
- Chiefs vs. Bengals over-under: 54.5 points
- Chiefs vs. Bengals money line: Cincinnati +270, Kansas City -340
- CIN: Bengals are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games
- KC: Over has hit in seven straight Chiefs games
Why the Chiefs can cover
Kansas City has had strong play from tight end Travis Kelce all season long. In last week’s win over the Buffalo Bills, Kelce had eight catches for 96 yards, including the game-winning TD in overtime. He will be looking for his sixth playoff game in a row with 95 or more receiving yards and has a touchdown catch in five of his last six postseason games. During the regular season, Kelce tied for the lead among tight ends with nine receiving touchdowns and ranked second with 92 catches and 1,125 receiving yards.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill led the Chiefs with 11 catches for 150 yards and a score last week. He will be looking for his eighth playoff game in a row with 50 or more receiving yards and third in a row with a receiving touchdown. Hill led the team during the regular season with 111 receptions for 1,239 yards (11.2 average) and had nine touchdowns. He registered 13 explosive plays of 20 yards or more, including a season-high 75-yarder, and converted 75 first downs. He also had 444 yards after the catch.
Why the Bengals can cover
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is the first rookie ever with 100 receiving yards in multiple playoff games and needs just 18 to have the most ever by a rookie in postseason history. He ranked fourth in the NFL with 1,455 receiving yards, the most by a rookie in the Super Bowl era, and was third with 13 receiving touchdowns. Chase set career marks in the Week 17 meeting against Kansas City with 11 catches, 266 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. He has 100 or more receiving yards in four of his past five games.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins had 96 receiving yards last week at Tennessee and a career-high 1,091 receiving yards this season. In 14 regular-season games, Higgins had 74 receptions and six touchdowns with 17 explosive plays of 20 or more yards, including a season-high of 54. He also converted 53 first downs. In the Week 17 matchup against the Chiefs, he caught three passes for 62 yards (20.7 average). A week earlier against Baltimore, Higgins had 12 receptions for 194 yards (16.2 average) and two touchdowns.
How to make Chiefs vs. Bengals picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side of the Bengals vs. Chiefs spread to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Bengals vs. Chiefs in the NFL playoffs 2022? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bengals vs. Chiefs spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the expert who’s a blistering 24-8 on Chiefs picks.
