It’s been a very, very long while since people thought of the Kansas City Chiefs as underdogs.
Ever since Patrick Mahomes took over, Andy Reid‘s team has been one of the biggest offensive juggernauts in the league, and it seems like oddsmakers always make the most of every chance to inflate their point spreads.
That’s why it’s such a surprise to see that the Cincinnati Bengals are actually favored ahead of their trip to Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Championship Game vs. the Chiefs.
According to NFL insider Peter Schrager, this is the first time that Mahomes and the Chiefs are underdogs in the playoffs since he became a starter.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are underdogs in a playoff game for the first time ever on Sunday.
"The shifts in the 'disrespected team' in the AFC the last few weeks are wild. Last week, Cincinnati leaned into it. This week, it's the @Chiefs. I'm here for all of it."
–@PSchrags pic.twitter.com/vYu0pf45u1
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 25, 2023
Notably, we also have to dig deep into this game’s context.
For starters, Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain during their Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he’s expected to be quite limited throughout the week.
But more than that, we cannot ignore the fact that Joe Burrow has actually gone 2-0 as a starter against the Chiefs in his career, and that includes winning at Arrowhead.
The Bengals look like a wreaking ball in their trip to Buffalo’s blistering cold, holding Josh Allen and the Bills to just 10 points and putting up 27 on their defense despite the heavy snow.
Also, Zac Taylor’s team is fresh off a Super Bowl loss last season and has played with a chip on its shoulder from Week One, finishing the season quite strongly.
But then again, one should know better than to doubt Patrick Mahomes at this point, so maybe we’ll just pass on this one.
