The Ringer staff writer Sheil Kapadia has released his expert picks and predictions for the 2024 NFL conference championship games of the 2023 season. The two conference championship games are featured here.
Check out The Ringer’s 2024 NFL conference championship game picks, predictions, and best bets below.
The Ringer 2024 NFL Conference Championship Game Expert Picks and Predictions
The Ringer NFL analyst Sheil Kapadia published his expert picks and predictions for the two conference championship games of the 2023 NFL season scheduled for this weekend. Both matchups are this Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens game is set for 3 p.m. ET. Following the AFC title game, the Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship is at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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Ravens (-4)
Kapadia has the Baltimore Ravens winning a close one at home over the Kansas City Chiefs. “I have gone back and forth on this pick all week. The “keep it simple, stupid” part of me wants to take the Chiefs,” he wrote.
“Mahomes has been an underdog 11 times. The Chiefs are 9-1-1 against the spread in those games and have won eight of said games outright. Their path to a victory (or even a cover) here is not that complicated.
“The Chiefs are unlikely to get gashed by the Ravens’ passing game. And on the other side, they have Mahomes. He doesn’t need to throw for 350 yards, but can he make enough plays to position the Chiefs to steal the game? Of course.
“But I can’t shake how impressive this Ravens team has been. They have gone 7-3 with an NFL-best plus-138 point differential against playoff teams this season, and that includes a Week 18 loss to the Steelers where they were resting their starters. Their point differential against playoff opponents is 54 points better than any other team.
“I’ve said all season long that the Chiefs’ supporting cast on offense isn’t good enough. That didn’t show up against the Dolphins or Bills, but this Ravens defense is on another level compared to those teams. It’s terrifying to go against Mahomes — especially when he’s an underdog—but I think the Ravens get it done here.”
Lions (+7)
Additionally, the Ringer NFL writer has the San Francisco 49ers winning at home against the Detroit Lions. However, Kapadia believes the Lions will cover the spread. “There are aspects of this game that scream 49ers blowout. Their strengths against the pass match what the Lions like to do,” he wrote.
“It’d be no surprise to see San Francisco force Goff into mistakes. On the other side of the ball, the Lions will rely on turnovers. It’s just hard to see a scenario where they consistently slow down the 49ers offense. The Lions formula, in many ways, is similar to what we saw with Green Bay last week. Be efficient on offense. String together long drives.
“We have two head coaches with very different in-game personalities. Campbell has cultivated an aggressive identity for his football team. They expect to play to win and take some risks. Maybe we’ll see a fake punt or a surprise onside kick in this game.
“[Shanahan] is conservative by nature and seems to make decisions out of fear of the worst-case scenarios. We saw that in the divisional round when Shanahan sat on the ball and settled for a field goal at the end of the first half.
“Usually, the conservative approach doesn’t matter because the 49ers are so good, they win anyway. But there’s at least a chance that it will give the Lions an edge here.
“I think we’re headed for a Ravens-49ers Super Bowl, but I can’t dismiss how competitive this Lions group has been. Going back to last year, they are 22-7 in their past 29 games. They’ve had just three losses by more than seven points in that span. I think this is a well-coached group that will embrace the underdog role. I’m taking the points.”
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