For the first time since 2010, Championship Sunday of the NFL playoffs will occur without either Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.
And we could end up with an even deeper flashback if more postseason madness occurs.
In last week’s divisional round, underdogs went 3-1 to steal home-field advantage. On Sunday, the favored Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams look to snap that trend against the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
AFC Championship
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
3 p.m. ET, CBSNFC Championship
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
6:30 p.m. ET, FOX
But if the Bengals somehow pull off the upset in the AFC championship at Kansas City, and the 49ers do the same in the NFC title showdown, we would turn back the clock to 1989, when Cincinnati last advanced to the Super Bowl — and lost to San Francisco.
While you gear up for what could become an epic weekend of the NFL playoffs, don’t forget to take a look at some of special promotional offers by these New York online sportsbooks.
Bet $10, win $200 with BetMGM NY
Only once since the NFC and AFC championships began in 1970 has a game featured no touchdowns. Coincidentally, that 1980 game involved the Rams (when still in Los Angeles).
While very few — if any — things are guaranteed or given in the legal sports betting world, this one comes as close to it as possible: A touchdown will be scored. But, which team will you choose?
At BetMGM New York, new users can place their first real-money wager of $10 on any NFL moneyline. And if the team they bet on finds the end zone, those bettors will receive $200 in bonus bets regardless of the game’s outcome.
Those winnings will be paid out in two $100 bonus bets.
For what it’s worth, while there have been enough instances of a team losing without scoring a TD, only once has a conference champion lifted the trophy without doing so. New Yorkers may remember: the Giants squeaked by the 49ers 15-13 in 1991 en route to the Super Bowl.
- Redeem BETMGM Rewards
- Free Live Streaming - Watch Live Games
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
- Use Bonus Code: PLAYNY
Win $300 with $5 bet through FanDuel New York
Speaking of moneyline wagers, FanDuel Sportsbook NY have an opportunity to turn a minimal wager into a decent-sized payout.
New users with the online NY sports betting app can receive 30-1 boosted odds on either championship game matchup. After registering their accounts, users must make a first-time deposit and place their first real-money wager on any team to win its conference championship. With a max bet of $5, that bet can become $300 cash if it becomes a winner.
Note: That is $150 cash, not site credit or bonus bets.
Again, though, which team to back? Cincinnati makes its first conference championship appearance since 1988, but the Bengals are 2-0 in the AFC title game and beat the Chiefs on the road in Week 17. But Kansas City hosts a record fourth straight AFC championship, and the Chiefs have won each of the past two.
How about San Francisco, in its record-setting 17th conference championship game. The 49ers have seven victories at this stage, and they have gone 6-0 against the Rams in the past three seasons. Then again, the Rams have something special in mind. Never before had a team played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. Until last season, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lifted the Lombardi Trophy at Raymond James Stadium.
With Super Bowl LVI held at SoFi Stadium, the Rams have all the inspiration they need to leave it all out on the field.
Get $300
- Bet $5 Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins
- Available on Desktop, Android & iOS
- Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+
- To Claim: Click Play Now
DraftKings NY NFL promo: Bet $5, win $280
First-time users of DraftKings New York can also take advantage of a major odds boost.
After making a deposit of a minimum $5, users who place at least $5 on any NFL moneyline will receive $280 in bonus bets — as well as any other additional winnings — to any if the wager is victorious.
Here, DraftKings will pay out winners in the form of seven $40 bonus bets that will remain valid for seven days.
It would make sense for bettors to favor the favored, which in this case are the host Chiefs and Rams. While home teams went 5-1 during the wild card round (including both Kansas City and Los Angeles), “home-field advantage” was non-existent. Host squads won just one of four divisional-round games (Kansas City).
History favors the hosts, as home teams in AFC and NFC championships have gone a combined 69-33.
Then again, there is that Cincinnati-San Francisco connection. The only other two times the Bengals have appeared in the conference title game, they went on to the Super Bowl. And in both games, they faced (and lost to) San Francisco.
