Chiefs vs. Ravens: Top Fantasy Bets, Predictions for 2024 AFC Championship

Chiefs vs. Ravens: Top Fantasy Bets, Predictions for 2024 AFC Championship0 of 3

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes does not know what it is like to not play in the AFC Championship game, having made the penultimate game of the season in every one of his six NFL seasons.

Sunday, he will play that game on the road for the first time as he leads his team to Baltimore for a showdown with the No. 1 seeded Ravens.

For Mahomes and his squad, Sunday represents an opportunity to solidify their status as a modern-day dynasty, something few expected to see after the dominance of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

For the Ravens and their quarterback, presumptive league MVP Lamar Jackson, the game is a chance to establish a legacy. In a league considered to be pass-first, they have bucked the trend by building an offense that revolves around the run while Jackson has proven he can dissect offenses with his arm and his legs.

Ahead of a star-studded game, with a trip to Super Bowl LVIII at stake, these are the best fantasy bets and final predictions for the high-stakes Sunday afternoon showdown.

Fantasy Bet: Gus Edwards, Anytime Rushing Touchdown1 of 3

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Edwards found the endzone in three of his last five games and although he was shut out against Houston in the divisional round of these playoffs, he will have opportunities to score again Sunday against the Chiefs.

Kansas City can be run on. Buffalo found great success on the ground against the defending Super Bowl champs, physically wearing down the defense and keeping the game interesting.

While the Chiefs possess a stingy secondary, they are just slightly better than middle-of-the-pack against the run, which bodes well for a Ravens offense for which everything builds off of its ability to move the ball on the ground.

Edwards has been the most consistent runner for the AFC North champions this season and, behind a solid offensive line, should be able to have a productive day in Baltimore Sunday afternoon.

Currently sitting at +154 (bet $100, win $254) to score a rushing touchdown at any time, Edwards is absolutely a player worth taking that bet on, especially as the Chiefs are likely to take away receiving threats like Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr., and the returning Mark Andrews.

Fantasy Bet: Travis Kelce, Anytime Receiving Touchdown2 of 3

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Big time players make big time plays in big time games and few have done that more times, to greater success, than the Chiefs tight end.

Kelce has appeared in five AFC Championship games in his career, accumulating 36 catches for 344 yards and five touchdowns.

He has taken a pressure-packed game turned it into his personal highlight reel and although the Ravens have the best defense in football, and gave up the seventh-fewest points in fantasy in the regular season, there is reason to believe he could go off against Baltimore Sunday.

Houston struggled against the skilled unit but CJ Stroud was able to find his tight end, Dalton Schultz, five times for 43 yards, an average of 8.6 yards per catch.

Kelce does not have to make 30-yard receptions or break a catch-and-run for a big pickup. He can be incredibly effective for the Chiefs and have a stat line similar to what Schultz put up in the divisional round game.

For him, it will be about the quality of the receptions and if he can snag one in the red zone for a touchdown.

Oddsmakers currently have him sitting at +114 to score anytime Sunday.

You should love those odds.

The Ravens are likely to bring pressure all day Sunday in an attempt to get Mahomes to make mistakes. He will turn to his safety blanket and the receiver he trusts most in those situations to make a big play.

That is Kelce and if history is any indication, he will.

Prediction: Baltimore Returns to the Super Bowl3 of 3

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The manner in which the Buffalo Bills ran on the Chiefs, seemingly at will in the divisional round, was alarming. They were more physical, faced little opposition while rushing up and down the field, and provided the blueprints on how to defeat the reigning kings of the AFC.

Baltimore was the top rushing offense in 2023, thanks in large part to the efforts of Edwards, Justice Hill, and their league MVP quarterback Jackson.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will put in the work and have the team prepared to fix that issue but the Ravens are a big, physical team that can wear an opponent down with their ability to run the ball right down their throats.

There is something about Mahomes and Kelce when they get to this level, and it would not surprise anyone at all if they make magic again and cash their ticket to a fourth Super Bowl appearance.

The Ravens’ ability to run the ball, eat up clock, and play the type of defense that stunts an offense like the Chiefs’, though, may be the recipe for disappointment for the reigning champs and their fans.

Look for Jackson to have the game of his life as he is within striking distance of the Super Bowl that has eluded him to this point.

Prediction: Ravens best Chiefs by three, advance to Super Bowl

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