Super Bowl 2023: Final Predictions, Odds Before AFC, NFC Championship Games
The race to Super Bowl LVII is on its final leg. By Sunday night, we'll know which teams are headed to Glendale for the biggest game of the season. The Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers remain alive, but that will change in a matter of hours.
The NFC Championship Game is slated to kick off at 3 p.m. ET.
All four remaining competitors have legitimate championship potential. The Bengals were in the Super Bowl last year, while the Chiefs and 49ers faced in the big one just three years ago. The Eagles haven't been to the Super Bowl since the 2017 season, but they had an NFC-best 14-3 record and might have the most complete roster of the final four.
With the start of championship weekend mere hours away, now is the perfect time to check in on the latest odds and most recent buzz. You'll find that here, along with predictions for this year's Super Bowl participants.
Playoff Schedule and Latest Odds
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Championship Weekend
Sunday, January 29
3 p.m. ET: San Francisco 49ers (+2.5) at Philadelphia Eagles on Fox, Fox Sports App
6:30 p.m. ET: Cincinnati Bengals (+1.5) at Kansas City Chiefs on CBS, Paramount+
Super Bowl LVII
Sunday, February 12
6:30 p.m. ET on Fox, Fox Sports App
AFC Championship Game
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Though the Bengals were early-week favorites for this one, the line has moved back to Kansas City's side. This is almost certainly due to the progress of injured Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, and his status was uncertain early in the week. However, he has participated in practices and does not have an official designation on the injury report.
With Mahomes healthy enough to start, the hosts are again the favorites. However, it will surprise exactly no one if Cincinnati pulls off the minor upset.
The Bengals have beaten Kansas City in three straight matchups, including last year's AFC title game. Cincinnati came back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to win that one with an Evan McPherson walk-off overtime field goal.
Fans can expect another close battle between Mahomes and Joe Burrow with other factors weighing heavily on the outcome. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has found success against Mahomes, while the Bengals' banged-up offensive line could be a liability.
The Bengals have officially ruled out left tackle Jonah Williams and guard Alex Cappa. They were already without right tackle La'el Collins, who suffered a torn ACL in the regular season.
With three-fifths of its starting linemen down, Cincinnati could struggle against a Chiefs pass rush that tallied 55 sacks in the regular season. Yet, it's never the best idea to bet against Burrow—who may have supplanted Tom Brady as the most clutch quarterback in the game.
Burrow and star wideout Ja'Marr Chase have a knack for torching the Chiefs, as the two combined for 417 yards and four touchdowns in the previous three meetings.
This will be a close one, likely tied late in the fourth quarter. However, the Chiefs have the better pass rush, and while Burrow rarely makes mistakes, a late one will allow Kansas City to escape with an all-too-close victory.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, Bengals 25
NFC Championship Game
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The 49ers and Eagles game won't feature the sort of budding rivalry we'll see in the evening matchup. What the early game will feature is two of the best defenses in the league and two of the NFL's most intriguing quarterbacks.
Philadelphia and San Francisco finished the regular season ranked second and first, respectively, in yards allowed.
Jalen Hurts has gone from being Carson Wentz's understudy and a second-round surprise to a viable MVP candidate. However, he's still dealing with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games in December.
The 49ers are relying on rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, the final player selected in the 2022 NFL draft. Purdy will be only the fifth rookie to start a conference title game, and while he's handled himself well, he'll have his hands full with a dynamic Eagles pass rush.
Philadelphia racked up a whopping 70 sacks in the regular season.
This won't be the first battle between Hurts and Purdy. The two faced off in college in 2019, with Hurts' Oklahoma Sooners besting Purdy's Iowa State Cyclones 42-41. While Hurts has become a star since then, he has plenty of respect for his 49ers counterpart.
"He's always been a really good player, has a lot of moxie, he makes plays. He's been doing that since college, so it's no surprise," Hurts said, per ESPN's Tim McManus.
While Hurts is the more dangerous dual-threat, his scrambling ability may be less of a factor on Sunday. The 49ers have been tremendous against the run, finishing the regular season ranked second in both rushing yards allowed and yards per carry (3.4) surrendered.
The Eagles have been more inconsistent against the run, ranking 24th in yards per carry, allowing 4.6 during the regular season.
If Philadelphia can rattle Purdy, it will have a chance to reach the Super Bowl. However, the prediction here is that San Francisco leans heavily on Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and the ground game and grinds out a hard-fought win.
Prediction: 49ers 22, Eagles 20
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Updated Super Bowl Odds
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Odds
Philadelphia Eagles 12-5
Kansas City Chiefs 13-5
Cincinnati Bengals 11-4
San Francisco 49ers 33-10
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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