On Sunday, the National Football League will determine the two teams that will take part in the “Big Game,” the 2024 Super Bowl. It’s been a long season for the four teams that will battle it out for the respective National and American Football Conferences, but this is the goal that they set out back in July when Training Camp began.
So, who is it going to be in the two NFL Championship Games? We’ll offer a few suggestions here and perhaps a way to entertain yourself outside of the actual game action. As always, these suggestions are offered for entertainment purposes (lines provided by Hard Rock BET).
American Football Conference
Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed) v. Baltimore Ravens (#1) (-4.5) (O/U 44.5)
This is arguably the more difficult of the two matchups because you’re not sure what you will get out of the Chiefs. Long driven by QB Patrick Mahomes and his wizardry behind head coach Andy Reid’s offensive system, this year that magic just hasn’t been there. Between the butterfingered wide receiving corps and a rash of injuries through the season, for the first time Mahomes has had to go on the road for the first time in his playoff career.
Ah, but that was before the reawakening of the Chiefs’ D. During the playoffs, the defense of Steve Spagnuolo has given up only 15.5 points per game, taking some of the pressure from Mahomes to constantly be trying to save the game. That has allowed the two-time Super Bowl champion to lead the Chiefs into their sixth straight AFC Championship Game.
For the entirety of the season, QB Lamar Jackson has dazzled the league with both his arms and his legs and looks to be on course for his second Most Valuable Player award. He’s got a full complement of weapons, including a recently acquired RB in former Buffalo Bill Dalvin Cook who could provide an X-factor. Add in the home field for the Blackbirds and it would be tough to go against them.
In this match, however, I think it’s going to be pretty close. Both defenses are playing at a very high level, and it could swing on a special teams play, an interception return for a touchdown, or some other intangible that pops its head up. Thus, we’re not only going to take the UNDER on this game, but we’ll grab the points and the Chiefs, who may very well win the game outright.
PICK: Chiefs +4.5, UNDER 44.5
National Football Conference
Detroit Lions (#3) v. San Francisco 49ers (#1) (-7.5) (O/U 52)
This will be the more entertaining of the two NFL Championship Games matchups on Sunday. Both offenses are running at a high level, with QB Brock Purdy entertaining some MVP votes alongside his do-everything RB Christian McCaffery to lead the Niners and QB Jared Goff uses his receiving threat in Amon-Ra St. Brown. Whoever has the defense that shows up – and the Niners D has been showing up for most of the season – will be the ones who rule this game.
It is going to be a close one, just like its AFC counterpart, and it is not going to be dominated by one team. I’m going to grab the points with the Lions, and I expect the scoring to be plentiful, perhaps a 28-27 game, although I do think that the 49ers will be the team that comes out on top.
PICK: Lions +7.5, OVER 52
