The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to yet another AFC Championship this weekend, but they will be in uncharted territory when the Cincinnati Bengals roll into town come Sunday. For the first time since Patrick Mahomes became the franchise QB, Andy Reid's squad will be a playoff underdog. At most sportsbooks, the team is sitting at +1.5, including FanDuel.
While the Bengals did beat KC in this exact game last season, there is definitely one notable reason the Chiefs aren't favored: Mahomes' injury. The signal-caller is dealing with a high ankle sprain, forcing him out early in the Divisional Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The MVP frontrunner went back to the locker room to get his ankle wrapped up but returned in the second half. It was very clear the former Texas Tech standout had discomfort, though.
Sunday's affair also ends a 14-game run of being a postseason favorite, which included all of Mahomes' appearances and two of Alex Smith's outings in the playoffs. If Mahomes was at full strength, there's a good chance the Chiefs would be favored by a few points here. But, that is not the case.
This rematch of the 2022 AFC Title Game is expected to be an absolute doozy, with arguably the two top quarterbacks in the league going toe to toe. And based on the odds, the Chiefs aren't expected to come out on top. Needless to say, it all comes down to just how good Mahomes is. Can he overcome the ankle injury or will it hamper him?
Only time will tell.
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