Super Bowl 2019: Latest NFL Championship Odds, Conference Title Predictions

If you haven't thanked the football gods for an epic 2018 NFL season, this would be as good a time as any.

While these games can be predictable, the precursors to Super Bowl LIII look phenomenal on paper.

Chalk prevailed in both conferences, meaning the top-seeded New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs are set to respectively host the second-seeded New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. Both are rematches of regular-season meetings that produced 163 points and victories for both the Saints and Patriots.

Oddsmakers expect a boatload of points, and the eye test agrees. Presuming they give a three-point bump for home-field advantage, they're basically calling for coin flips. Again, the eye test nods in agreement.

Here's a look at the latest conference championship and Super Bowl odds, per OddsShark, along with predictions for this weekend's matchups.

Conference Championship Schedule and Odds

Sunday, January 20, 3:05 p.m. ET on Fox: No. 2 Los Angeles Rams at No. 1 New Orleans Saints (-3.5, 57 O/U)

Sunday, January 21, 6:40 p.m. ET on CBS: No. 2 New England Patriots at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 55.5 O/U)

Super Bowl Schedule

Sunday, February 3, 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS: AFC champion vs. NFC champion at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

Super Bowl Odds

New Orleans Saints: 2-1

Kansas City Chiefs: 5-2

Los Angeles Rams: 7-2

New England Patriots: 18-5

Conference Championship Predictions

Saints 30, Rams 24

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

New Orleans was the first team to take down Los Angeles this season and did so in relatively comfortable fashion. Five first-half scores helped the Saints lead by as many as 21 points, and while the Rams eventually erased all of that, New Orleans still rallied to hold serve by a 45-35 margin.

Of course, that was all the way back in Week 9, so it's hard to tell what, if anything, can be taken from that tilt.

For instance, C.J. Anderson—the Rams' leading rusher the last three games—was still a Carolina Panther then. He'd (briefly) be an Oakland Raider next, before signing with the Rams in mid-December, reeling off 299 yards in place of an injured Todd Gurley in Weeks 16 and 17, then outrushing Gurley (123-115) in the divisional round.

If you wanted to convince yourself Anderson has already become the Rams' X-factor, it wouldn't be hard. As Action Network's Chris Raybon noted, Anderson is perhaps best equipped to hurt the Sheldon Rankins-less Saints defense right where they're most vulnerable:

But how heavy can L.A. lean on the run against Drew Brees in the Superdome? Our crystal ball says not enough.

While the Rams' passing attack has potency, there's still volatility with Jared Goff under center. The third-year quarterback has topped 220 yards once in his last six games, a stretch that almost aligns perfectly with the loss of Cooper Kupp. Rather than risk putting Goff in a shootout with Brees, L.A. will likely try to squeeze everything it can from the Gurley-Anderson combo.

But what happens if Brees and Michael Thomas are clicking? They connected 12 times in that Week 9 matchup, producing 211 yards and a score. Last Sunday, they had another 12 connections, this time for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas can almost be penciled in for a monster outing, and then it's just a matter of finding complementary options. Between Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Taysom Hill, Ted Ginn Jr. and Tre'Quan Smith, New Orleans will find more than L.A. can handle.

Patriots 27, Chiefs 23

Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Nothing feels comfortable about picking against the Chiefs.

Not when they employ the likely MVP in Patrick Mahomes, who just became a full-time starter this season and promptly piled up 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdowns. Not when this contest is being played at Arrowhead Stadium, where Kansas City went 7-1 with a plus-115 scoring differential.

And certainly not when the Chiefs just derailed what had been a steaming locomotive in the Indianapolis Colts, who had won 10 of their last 11 games before dropping an even-worse-than-it-sounds 31-13 result Saturday.

But then...it's the Patriots. It's Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the playoffs.

Oh, and it's a New England team proving more resistant on defense and more explosive in the rushing game.

Only two of the Patriots' last seven opponents scored more than 17 points. One was the Chargers last week, who entered halftime with seven points and the fourth quarter with 14.

As for the ground attack, rookie Sony Michel must be licking his chops right now. He's not only coming into this contest hot (24 carries for 129 yards and three scores Sunday), he's also preparing to face one the worst run defenses in the business.

The Chiefs were a bottom-six rushing defense in yards per game (132.1, 27th), touchdowns (19, tied for 29th) and yards per attempt (5.0, 31st). Even in the divisional-round win, they were gashed the few times the Colts ran the ball. Indy averaged 6.2 yards per carry; this season's worst average was 5.1.

Would it shock us if Kansas City won? Not at all. Mahomes is incredible, this pass rush can be electric and Arrowhead is one of the toughest places to play.

But betting against Brady always seems like a bad idea, especially when he's supported by his running backs and defense.