Here we go, by Monday afternoon we will know who will be facing off in Super Bowl LV after the NFC and AFC Championship Games.
It’s been one of the most unique seasons in NFL history and we have a spectacular final four still in contention for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The day kicks off with an old NFC Central rivalry between Green Bay and Tampa Bay in what will undoubtedly be called “The Battle of the Bays.”
Following that one, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will host their third consecutive AFC Championship Game when they take on the Buffalo Bills, who are still searching for their first ever Super Bowl title.
It promises to be a fantastic morning of NFL action and we’ve got our NFL Conference Championship Games Tips below.
For the last decade, fans have been clamouring to see the teams of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers face off in the playoffs.
Admittedly it’s coming a round earlier than we had been hoping for in the past, but now we finally get to see the two best quarterbacks of the 2010’s face off in a win or go home scenario.
It’s going to be tough to top Brady-Rodgers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
A week after ending the season (and probably career) of Drew Brees, the Buccaneers can cap their Brady-inspired rise by booking a place in Super Bowl LV, which will take place in their home stadium, becoming the first team to play for the Lombardi Trophy in their own ground.
This will not be the first meeting between these teams this season, Tampa Bay absolutely pantsed Green Bay 38-10 in Week 6.
Remarkably, the Packers started that game on the front foot, taking a 10-0 lead before the Buccaneers turned the game on a pair of interceptions from Aaron Rodgers, leading to a 28-0 third quarter.
Chances are this game will come down to turnovers once again and the Buccaneers will be feeling very confident in their defence after forcing four Saints turnovers in their upset win last weekend.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offence looks borderline unstoppable at the moment however and if they can keep the turnovers to a minimum, the presumptive 2020 NFL MVP will return to the Super Bowl, a full decade after his lone trip.
It takes a brave person to back against Tom Brady in the playoffs (and perhaps I should have learned my lesson last week), but I just don’t see the Packers making the same mistakes they did in the first meeting or New Orleans did last week.
Rodgers will have no problem relying on the running game to keep things balanced and going to the open receiver, which means Tampa won’t be able to focus solely on shutting down Davante Adams.
Green Bay has been a wagon on their run home and it cannot be overstated how valuable getting the NFC Championship at home will be.
This has the makings of a high scoring Packers victory as Brady and company just cannot keep up with the ruthless efficiency Rodgers has shown lately.
Other Tips
Over 51 Points @ $1.90
SGM: Davante Adams Over Receiving Yards & Anytime TD Scorer
Leonard Fournette Anytime TD Scorer
All eyes are on the status of reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes after he was injured in the third quarter of their win over the Browns.
The superstar quarterback and likely face of the NFL for the next decade either suffered a concussion or neck injury depending on which report you want to believe, but regardless of what he is battling, he’s in a race to be cleared in time for this weekend.
You could be forgiven for being a bit cynical & thinking that his entire examination will boil down to being asked by the trainer “what is one plus one?”
I’ll make my tip on the assumption that Mahomes will be cleared to play (after a slightly more thorough examination) and look like something resembling his usual self against Buffalo.
When these teams met in Week 6, the Chiefs ran up and down the field on the Bills, tallying 245 total yards on the ground in a 26-17 victory.
Buffalo’s defence has been somewhat inconsistent all season, especially defending the run but they came to play against Baltimore last week, holding the Ravens to three points.
Kansas City is a whole different animal and they just have too many options for the Bills to contain, I would be stunned if they are held to under 30 points.
I like Le’Veon Bell to have a big game as the Chiefs opt to try and keep the Bills guessing with a balanced attack and he should be able to find the end zone here.
In a game like this, a good tight end can be a quarterback’s best friend and Travis Kelce always seems to find a way to get open, despite being a massive person and one of the mouthiest players in the league.
Josh Allen will have his moments moving the ball and Stefon Diggs will not be kept quiet but I just can’t see them keeping up with Kansas City and playing a clean game.
The Chiefs would do well to put together a blowout victory here but backing them to win by 1-13 points has been a winning play over the last few months so I’ll stick with what has been a winning formula.
Other Tips
SGM: Travis Kelce Over Receiving Yards & Anytime TD Scorer
Le’Veon Bell Anytime TD Scorer
Stefon Diggs Anytime TD Scorer