NFL Championship Weekend Opening Lines & Information

We are officially at the last stop before Super Bowl LV as we arrive at NFL Championship Weekend.

The Divisional Weekend was a wild one, as we saw the Buffalo Bills defeated the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 17-3. They will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. The Chiefs are coming off a 22-17 victory against the Cleveland Browns, however, the game was not without casualties as Patrick Mahomes left the contest with a concussion. If Mahomes is out against the Bills this weekend, you have to wonder if the Bills will be closer to being the favorites.

In the NFC Divisional games, the Green Bay Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 and now Aaron Rodgers will play at home in an NFC Championship game for the first time in his career. The Packers will meet the Tampa Buccaneers, who defeated the New Orleans Saints in a 30-20 game. It marked the last time Tom Brady and Drew Brees will play each other, as it’s been rumored that Brees would retire after the season. Now, Rodgers has a chance to prove that he belongs in the same conversation as the likes of Brady and Brees if he can beat the Buccaneers.

Below is a preview for the NFL Championship weekend, with Bovada’s odds for each game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5-0) at Green Bay Packers (13-3-0)

Date: Sunday, January 24
Time: 3:05 pm ET
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin (Lambeau Field)
TV: FOX

Two high-powered offenses will meet at Lambeau Field when the Buccaneers pay a visit to the Packers.

As usual, the Packers will depend on their top offensive weapons to help them win the game: Rodgers and Davante Adams. Rodgers led the league in touchdown passes this season (48), while Adams led the league in receiving touchdowns with 18 — the third-most of all-time. While the Buccaneers have allowed the least amount of rushing yards per game, they are susceptible through the air as they’re allowing the 12th-most receiving yards per game.

The Buccaneers are hoping that their “Big 3” receivers of Antonio Brown (one reception, 10 yards), Mike Evans (one reception, 3 yards, one touchdown), and Chris Godwin (four receptions, 34 yards) have better games than they did against the Saints. The Buccaneers may be the second-highest scoring team this season, but the Packers are first. When the Buccaneers beat the Packers 38-10 in Week 6, they managed to shutdown Rodgers and Adams, and Ronald Jones ran over the Packers’ defense to the tune of 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Buccaneers vs Packers Odds

Spread: Buccaneers +4 (-115), Packers -4 (-105)
Moneyline: Buccaneers +165, Packers -190
Total: Over 51 (-105), Under 51 (-115)

See Bovada for updated lines and odds.

Buffalo Bills (13-3-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (14-2-0)

Date: Sunday, January 24
Time: 6:40 pm ET
Location: Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium)
TV: CBS

The Bills have the third-best offense in the NFL and that all starts with the electric Josh Allen at quarterback, whether he’s getting it done on the ground or through the air. Allen’s favorite offensive option this season was Stefon Diggs, who led the league in receiving yards during the regular season and he’s doing it again in the postseason. The Chiefs have allowed the 14th-most rushing yards per game this year, which means the way to beat them may be on the ground.

Or, if Mahomes doesn’t play, it may be by getting to backup quarterback Chad Henne early and often.

When Mahomes’ left the game against the Browns with a concussion, people began wondering if they could squeeze out the win with their backup quarterback. Well, they did, but they’re going to need Henne to play the best game of his life if it does come to him starting the AFC Championship game. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce both have 100+ yard games against the Browns, so they’ll need to do their best at giving Henne open options. The Bills are allowing the 11th-fewest amount of points per game this season, so scoring will be harder to come by for the Chiefs if Mahomes is out of the lineup. If that’s the case, maybe the Chiefs will have to worry less about scoring and more about stopping Allen.