AFC Championship Odds, Favorites to Win, Best Bets 2024/25: Ravens vs. Chiefs Season will Kick Off Season

• The Chiefs are the AFC frontrunner heading into the season at +350

• The Patriots have the longest odds at 100-1

• The Ravens will face the Chiefs to open the season on September 5

NFL training camp is underway for all 32 teams, and this is when the odds markets begin to change. We’re just over one month away from the regular season beginning when the Chiefs host the Ravens on September 5th. 

Kansas City took down Baltimore in the AFC Championship one year ago, so Baltimore should be hungry for revenge. These two teams are the current favorites on FanDuel to win the AFC, and we could see a rematch between these two teams with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. 

The Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans round out the top five teams on the AFC odds market board. While the Chiefs have a stronghold on the AFC, there is a lot of value across the board. Here, we will break down the AFC Championship odds and give our best bets with teams entering training camp.

AFC Championship Odds

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Click on the odds below and head to FanDuel to place your bets: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets.

AFC Championship Predictions - AFC Favorites

Kansas City Chiefs (+350) at FanDuel

The Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship odds have drifted from +370 to +350 over the past month. Kansas City was expected to have a down season in 2023, but they exceeded expectations again behind Patrick Mahomes. 

Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league and is on pace to be one of the greatest ever to play. Last season, he won a Super Bowl with limited weapons, but this is no longer the case. The Chiefs have a stacked wide receiver room, which has shown up significantly early in training camp. 

Rashee Rice, who faced legal issues in the offseason, is back with the team. The Chiefs anticipate a brief suspension but have weapons to fill the void if this occurs. The team drafted Xavier Worthy out of Texas, who will be one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL in no time. 

The team also has Travis Kelce, who started 2023 slow but finished the year with a vengeance. Kelce finished the season with 93 receptions, 984 yards, and five touchdowns. 

He destroyed the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, catching 11 passes on 11 targets for 116 yards with a touchdown. While many people don’t want to see the Chiefs back in the AFC Championship Game, it’s hard to bet against Mahomes, and they should be at the top of your betting board

Bet on Chiefs (+350) at FanDuel 

Baltimore Ravens (+550) at FanDuel

The Baltimore Ravens were heavy favorites to win the AFC Championship after the 2024 regular season, and they’re right back in the mix in 2024. The Ravens are now +550 to win the AFC, and their odds have lengthened from +490 a few weeks ago. 

Baltimore has a more talented team overall than the Chiefs, but this hasn’t resulted in wins. Mahomes owns Lamar Jackson, and this has been clear over the years. The lengthening in their odds makes sense since Jackson is 0-5 against Mahomes and the Chiefs over his career. 

Despite winning the MVP last season, Jackson didn’t have a great showing in the AFC Championship Game. Yet, the Ravens still enter 2024 with one of the best rosters in the NFL, and they have a great core philosophy that revolves around the quarterback. 

Head coach John Harbaugh said the expectation is that Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback to ever play the game, and they have put the necessary pieces in place to make it happen. One of those pieces to winning is Derrick Henry. 

Henry is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He is expected to lead the league in rushing this season in Baltimore’s offense. Henry will be Jackson's perfect power counterpart in the backfield because the quarterback beats defenders with speed. 

The offense will score points, and the defense should torment the opposition. Yet, it’s unknown if they can beat the Chiefs when it counts.

Bet on Ravens (+550) at FanDuel 

Cincinnati Bengals (+750) at FanDuel

Joe Burrow has been cleared for complete contact heading into training camp. This is music to the Bengals' ears because he is the engine that makes the team run.

Despite the news, Cincinnati’s odds to win the AFC have lengthened from +700 to +750. While Cincinnati is relatively unproven based on last season’s results, this team has won the AFC Championship with Burrow and beaten the Chiefs. 

Every quarterback has a kryptonite. Mahomes’ kryptonite is Burrow because this is the only quarterback besides Tom Brady who has beaten the league’s number one in the big game. While the Ravens have a better team than the Bengals, Burrow is one of the most incredible quarterbacks in the NFL under pressure. 

If he can stay healthy, which wasn’t the case in last year’s training camp, the Bengals will be a significant AFC threat. The team has excellent receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase is under contract, and Higgins is playing for a massive contract, so they should get a lot of production from both players.

Bet on Bengals (+750) at FanDuel 

Buffalo Bills (+750) at FanDuel

The Buffalo Bills are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals on the odds board to win the AFC. However, we don’t believe this should be the case. 

While the Bills have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Josh Allen, they no longer have Stefon Diggs. Diggs departed to Houston in the offseason. 

It was clear Diggs wasn’t happy in Buffalo, but he will be missed. The team drafted Keon Coleman in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it’s hard to expect too much out of the rookie immediately. 

Buffalo also has Khalil Shakir leading the way as their primary receiver, and he was excellent down the stretch of the 2023-24 season. 

Nevertheless, the offense is built around Allen, who posted massive numbers last year. He threw for 4,306 yards, 29 touchdowns, and added another 15 on the ground. 

Injuries hurt the Bills on defense last season, but they have a lot of talent. It starts with Matt Milano, who tore his ACL last season. The linebacker sets the tone, and his being healthy in 2024 will be a relief for Sean McDermott’s team.

Bet on Bills (+750) at FanDuel 

My Pick - Cincinnati Bengals (+750) at FanDuel

The Bengals' value at +750 is solid to win the AFC. Burrow’s injuries destroyed the team in 2024, but if he stays healthy, Cincinnati can beat the Chiefs. 

The AFC North prepares teams for the playoffs, and while they have to go through Baltimore in the division, they have the talent to make it happen. The Chiefs are the easy pick to win the AFC, but the value needs to be longer than +350 to take Kansas City.

Bet on Cincinnati Bengals (+750) at FanDuel 

Who Won the AFC Championship in 2023-24?

The Chiefs won the AFC Championship Game in 2023, defeating the Ravens 27-20. Kansas City’s defense was fantastic throughout the entire game. 

Lamar Jackson won the MVP in 2023-24, and Kansas City’s defense made him look silly. Jackson turned the ball over multiple times and was held to 54 yards rushing. Considering he was the Ravens' leading rusher, this limited result was a massive success for Kansas City. 

Travis Kelce delivered for the Chiefs on offense, catching 11 passes for 116 yards with one touchdown. This marked the second straight AFC Championship victory for Kansas City and their sixth consecutive year in the title game. 

AFC Championship Winner History

The NFC and AFC were formed in 1970 when the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL), splitting the league into two distinct conferences. The Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis Colts) defeated the Oakland Raiders (Las Vegas Raiders) 27-17 in the first AFC Championship Game.

The winner of the AFC Championship Game earns a bid in the Super Bowl against the NFC champion and also takes home the Lamar Hunt trophy, named after the founder of the AFL.

History of Past AFC Champions

Popular NFL Futures Bets

NFL bettors can place wagers on a variety of futures markets, both long-term and short-term, depending on when the bets are placed.

Futures bets are available for team and player performances. The closer the finish line on the bets, the more lopsided the bets usually are in favor of the prospective winner. Betting futures far away from the completion date is, therefore usually more profitable, unless there is a huge upset or reversal in fortunes late into the season.

Here are different kinds of futures bets that are available.

Regular Season Wins

Bettors can find project win totals for every team in the league and wager on whether or not the team will exceed that total. Win totals are usually set at x.5 so that there are no pushes (draws). For example, the Bengals have a projected win total of 11.5, so 11 wins or fewer would be under, and 12 or more would be over.

Record Breakers

There is a selection of record-breaker bets available at the start of every season. They target players that are either close to historical achievements or have shown a propensity or ability to challenge for all-time marks. 

An example of a record breakers bet is Patrick Mahomes to throw for the most yards in a single NFL season. In 2022, he threw for 5,250 last season, which is just about 13.3 yards per game off the all-time mark.

Player Totals

Bettors can also bet on player single-season totals in different areas, including passing and rushing totals, sacks, interceptions, and more. These are correlated to but still distinctly different from awards betting (which we discuss below).

Award Winners

Players can also throw down bets on which athletes will win different awards, including Regular Season MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and more. These bets can be placed from the first day post-Super Bowl all the way until the end of the season, but the odds are constantly changing.

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the AFC Championship

Choosing the best online sportsbook can seem like a daunting process, but it is actually not all that bad. We have provided a guide on how to pick the best sportsbook for your NFL betting pleasure, which we encourage you to read.

Make sure to try out different sportsbooks and find the one that you are the most comfortable with before making any long-term commitments.

*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.

AFC Championship Winner Odds

There’s a very simple way to remember how odds work.

If the odds value starts with a “-,” that means that bettors have to risk the listed amount to win $100. For example, -400 odds means that a $400 bet will result in a $100 profit. Lines with “-” are usually (but not always) the favored outcome, or the one that is expected to occur.

If the odds value is preceded by a “+,” that means that a $100 bet will win the listed amount. So, +400 odds means that a $100 bet will result in $400 of profit.   

Welcome Bonus

NFL betting sites offer constant welcome bonuses to new users to make the sign-up process more enjoyable and profitable. Bonuses can result in all sorts of prizes, including money-back in bet credits if the first bet loses, guaranteed bonus bets, odds boosts, deposit matches, and much more.

Payment Options

Every sportsbook will accept different forms of payment, although almost all of them have the same basic options. You can find more information about what payment methods are available at a particular sportsbook by consulting our sportsbook reviews or navigating to the deposit section of your sportsbook.