The NFL's final four is upon us, and top seeds Baltimore and San Francisco are on a collision course to meet in Super Bowl 58.
Or are they? The Chiefs and Lions will have something to say about that in Sunday's AFC and NFC Championship games.
Kansas City will approach dynasty status with another Super Bowl win. Detroit can provide the greatest storyline by winning its first after years of futility.
Let's get to NFL conference championship betting picks and predictions for Chiefs vs. Ravens and Lions vs. 49ers.
Betting picks & predictions for Sunday's NFL conference championship games
Check out live NFL betting odds and our picks for Sunday's conference championship games.
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Chiefs (13-6 SU, 11-7-1 ATS) vs. Ravens (14-4 SU, 12-6 ATS)
Can Kansas City run the ball at all against Baltimore? That's a huge storyline entering Sunday's AFC Championship.
The Ravens limited the Texans to 38 yards on the ground, and forced Houston to become one-dimensional under QB C.J. Stroud.
Baltimore's allowed a league-low six rushing touchdowns in the regular season, which is astounding in its own right but not unprecedented. The Ravens allowed just five en route to their first Super Bowl win over the Giants in 2000.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco (toe) missed Wednesday's practice after serving as a catalyst for Kansas City's two playoff wins against the Dolphins and Bills, respectively.
Pacheco combined for 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns in those games. Hopefully, for KC fans, he's just getting some well deserved rest after carrying the ball 39 times the past two weeks.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who hadn't scored since Week 12, reconnected for two TDs in the win over Buffalo. The tandem of Mahomes-Kelce has now connected for a record 16 playoff TDs.
If Kelce continues his inspired play -- and Pacheco finds some running room -- that will go a long way toward Kansas City reaching its fourth Super Bowl in five years.
Can the Chiefs stop Lamar Jackson from beating them with his legs? Another big question heading into Sunday's game, after Jackson torched the Texans with a team-high 100 rushing yards and two TDs.
Mahomes is a playoff master with a 13-3 record heading into Sunday's game, and he's 9-1-1 ATS in his career as an underdog. It'll take all his grit and guile, but look for the Chiefs to keep this game close throughout.
Pick: Kansas City
Read more: Chiefs vs. Ravens TD scorer prop picks
Lions (14-5 SU, 13-6 ATS) vs. 49ers (13-5 SU, 9-9 ATS)
San Francisco appears to be the more vulnerable of the No. 1 seeds. If the Lions start quick and control time of possession like the Packers did, Detroit has a shot to win this game outright.
The 49ers were limited to just five offensive plays in the first quarter against the Packers, who pretty much did what they wanted on offense. Aaron Jones eclipsed 100 yards rushing, and Jordan Love threw for two TDs while challenging the 49ers deep down the field.
Look for Detroit's two-headed monster at running back -- Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery -- to have similar success on the ground. Detroit would do well to attack 49ers cornerback Ambry Jones, who struggled against the Packers with two key pass interference penalties and missed tackles.
Detroit was efficient on offense in the win over Tampa Bay. Jared Goff threw for 287 yards, two TDs and no interceptions. Gibbs amassed 114 rushing/receiving yards and found the end zone on a brilliant 31-yard TD run. Amon-Ra St. Brown also scored a touchdown and led the Lions with 77 receiving yards.
Rookie TE Sam LaPorta (knee) was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice. The Lions signed veteran TE Zach Ertz to their practice squad, but his role -- if any -- is yet to be determined for Sunday.
Detroit has plenty of offensive firepower to compete against San Francisco. The problem is its sieve-like defense that's given up more than 400 yards of offense and 23 points in each playoff game so far. That's why winning the time of possession battle will be so critical on Sunday.
Even if Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is out or compromised, the 49ers have one of the NFL's most dynamic offenses at 28.9 points per game (third-best in the NFL in regular season). It all starts with Christian McCaffrey, who rolled up 128 rushing/receiving yards and two TDs in the win over Green Bay.
Here are San Francisco's top TD scorers this season including the playoffs:
- Christian McCaffrey 23
- Deebo Samuel 12
- George Kittle 7
- Brandon Aiyuk 7
That's stout, but we're expecting a similar scoreline from last week when the Packers easily covered at +9.5. Grab Detroit at 7 and the hook if you can.
Pick: Lions
Read more: Lions vs. 49ers TD scorer prop picks
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