The NFL is at the business end of the season now as we enter the AFC Championship game, where the Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens finished top of the AFC North after an excellent season saw them finish with a 13-4 record, while the Chiefs claimed the winning spot in the AFC West with an 11-6 record of their own.
We'll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free NFL betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
Learn more about how to bet on the NFL playoffs here.
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs information
- Sunday, 28th January 2024
- M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- 15:00 ET kick-off
Season so far
Baltimore have been one of the surprise packages of the NFL season and their playoff spot is already secured after an excellent campaign.
The Ravens opened the season with back-to-back wins over the Houston Texans 25-9 and then the Cincinnatti Bengals 27-24 to get off to a great start, but they then suffered their first defeat of the season against the Indianapolis Colts 22-19 in overtime of week 3.
They followed that up with a dominant 28-3 win over the Cleveland Browns in week 4 before another defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10 in week five, which set them up for a hugely impressive four-game winning streak.
Baltimore claimed a 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in London, England before a 38-3 thumping win over the Detroit Lions in week 7. That was followed up with a 31-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals in week 8 before a sensational 37-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. A second meeting with Cleveland didn't end well for them though as they fell to a 31-33 defeat in week 10.
Following that they won three in a row with another win over the Bengals, before a 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and 37-31 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. They followed that up with three dominant wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins, before defeat on the final day of the regular season to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Baltimore claimed a lopsided win over the Houston Texans in the Divisional round clash to set up this game, as they look to make their first playoff campaign since 2013.
The reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs stepped into the 2023 season with a trip to face off with the Detroit Lions, with many expecting a rout, but eventually suffering a shock come-from-behind defeat despite having led 14-7 at half-time.
Kansas bounced back in week 2 though against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 17-9 win, before week 3 saw the Chiefs romp to a 41-10 victory followed by a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in week 4, and then a dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings immediately after that in week 5.
Then came a 19-8 win over Denver Broncos in a poor quality game, before a strong 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers to stretch their win streak to six. But then in a second meeting with the Broncos they found themselves on the end of another shocking defeat, this time losing 24-9. They recovered in Germany with a 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins before a bye in week 10.
They had a rough patch at one point where they were well beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 in week 11, before beating the Raiders 31-17 in week 12. They then lost two in a row as they fell to a 19-27 defeat to the Green Bay Packers and a 17-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
They followed that up with a win over the New England Patriots 27-17, before a Christmas Day defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders set them back again. They then picked up a comfortable 25-17 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, before ending the season with a 13-12 win over the Chargers.
That set up a Wildcard round clash against Dolphins, where they cruised to a 26-7 victory before a stunning 24-21 win over the Bills last time out put them in a fifth consecutive AFC Championship game.
NFL Picks: Baltimore Ravens -3.5 @ -104
The Ravens, led by the brilliant Lamar Jackson, have demonstrated remarkable prowess throughout the season, particularly in their offense and defense. Their impressive victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round has set high expectations for their performance in the championship.
Baltimore’s robust defense and Jackson’s agility and skill in maneuvering the offense are likely to be key factors in their strategy against the Chiefs.
However the Kansas City Chiefs are no pushovers. It will be a gritty and challenging game for both teams and it could be a high-scoring game for the ages. The Chiefs will likely rely on Mahomes’ leadership and their offensive strength to counter the Ravens’ formidable defence.
However their poor offense for the most part this season has let them down once too often, and Baltimore have been clinical all season. Back the Ravens to make it to the Super Bowl.
Check out our review for MyBookie sports betting here.
NFL Picks: Over 44.5 total points @ -110
Defensively this season the Chiefs have been exceptional, allowing an average of just 17.3 points per game, ranking them as the second-best defense in the entire NFL this season. Offensively though they've not been at their best, scoring an average of 21.8 points per game to rank them in 15th across the league.
Baltimore however are the best defensive team in the NFL, allowing just 16.5 points per game on average this season. Offensively they have been sensational too scoring 28.4 points per game on average, ranking them as the fourth-best scoring team in the NFL.
Seven of the Ravens' games this season have hit the 45 point mark, while six of the Chiefs' games have seen the total hit or surpassed. But in such a big game it should bring the best out of both of their best players, so go for the Over to land.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
