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The road to the 2026 Super Bowl starts now, as the 2025 NFL regular season is less than 100 days away. Before you know it, we’ll be talking about NFL MVP favorites, crazy winning streaks, and records that can be broken in an 18-game schedule.

Pro football always offers plenty of intrigue, and one of the best markets to target early is which team will reach the Super Bowl. That means predicting the AFC and NFC Championship, and if you can get that right, you may be well on your way to winning your Super Bowl bets, too.

It’s still only summertime, so technically all 32 NFL teams still have a chance to win their respective conference. Some have better odds than others, of course, while others could provide elite betting value and nobody is seeing them coming.

I’ll walk you through the latest 2025-26 AFC Conference Championship odds and gauge which team is the most likely bet to get it done this year. For more guidance, be sure to stop by our NFL betting page before finalizing your wagers for 2025.

What Is The AFC Championship?

The AFC Championship is the game that decides which team represents the Super Bowl from the AFC conference. The game was created as part of the NFL/AFL merger in 1970.

When Is The AFC Championship Game?

The exact date of the AFC Championship game can fluctuate, but it is typically played in late January, two weeks before the Super Bowl.

What Channel Is The AFC Championship Game On?

• AFC Championship Channel: CBS
• AFC Championship Time: 6:30 pm EST
• AFC Championship Announcers: Jim Nantz & Tony Romo

AFC Championship Odds

The following AFC Championship odds are courtesy of ScoresandStats:

Keep an eye on the latest NFL odds for the AFC Championship and monitor how the lines change throughout the season. 

Right now the usual suspects are front and center. The Buffalo Bills made it to the AFC title game last year, only to fall to their arch rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. After the season Josh Allen and co. had, it’s perfectly understandable to think they could be right back here come 2026, knocking on the door to the Super Bowl.

The same goes for KC. They got waxed in the Big Game, but they seem to at least reach the Super Bowl yearly now. Naturally, they share similar AFC Championship odds, while the Baltimore Ravens share their exact pricing.

Nobody should be shocked by these legit AFC title game threats. The real interest is in the value behind them. I’ll dig deep as I break down the top contenders and highlight some compelling values. As always, if you want further assistance with this market or any others, I encourage you to check out the best handicapping service you’ll find online.

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AFC Championship Favorites

The following teams are considered the odds-on favorites to win the AFC Championship according to the top sports betting sites:

Buffalo Bills (+325)

Josh Allen put up an NFL MVP-winning season, leading the Buffalo Bills to 13 wins and the second seed in the AFC. Another glorious year led to yet another frustrating finish, of course, as the proverbial monkey could not be shaken off of Buffalo’s collective back.

As great as the Bills looked at times in 2024, they ultimately fell to the Chiefs once again, and it was all the more painful in a three-point loss just before the Super Bowl.

While that was undeniably a bummer, the Bills clearly have the trappings of a title threat, and that has arguably been the case for years now. If and when this team can finally mentally overcome Patrick Mahomes and co., the Bills may be able to take that next final step.

This is a franchise that has yet to win the Lombardi Trophy, but they are definitely equipped to get the job done offensively. Allen powers a dynamic and explosive offense – one that was second in scoring and especially gifted inside the red-zone.

Buffalo actually got even better this offseason, as they added depth to the wide receiver position via Josh Palmer, and also bolstered their defense with pass rusher Joey Bosa.

Will it be enough to push a capable contender over the hump? Only time will tell, but the Bills are the AFC title favorites for a reason; they’ve been ready for that jump and simply need to make it happen when the time comes.

Dominating a weak AFC East division en route to a gimme playoff slot certainly doesn’t hurt their chances, either.

Kansas City Chiefs (+350)

Buffalo’s biggest obstacle remains the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s no denying that there is some leftover egg on the face of the former champs, as their bid for the league’s first ever Three-peat went horribly wrong in an embarrassing blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

As bad as it was, a public shaming could easily go a long way for a team that has seemingly found it easy to walk away with titles to close out seasons. Kansas City will have to take a good, hard look at themselves in the mirror, but they could take solace in the fact that they at least reached the promised land in five of the last six seasons.

Kansas City will need to lick their wounds, but they’re still set up for monstrous success. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been up and down ever since the team jettisoned Tyreek Hill to South Beach, but headed into 2025, he may have the best supporting cast he’s ever had.

A healthy Rashee Rice is back in the fold, Travis Kelce opted to hold off on his pending retirement, Hollywood Brown is hoping to stay healthy, and the speedy Xavier Worthy could be ready to explode. KC has even publicly been vocal about bringing back the deep ball in their offense, so fireworks could be on their way.

The best part? The Chiefs still have the NFL’s 6th best defense at their disposal. If the offense can get its groove back, their current AFC Championship odds may end up being a severe discount.

Baltimore Ravens (+350)

There’s also Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar got burned on social media with a James Harden meme, suggesting he crushes during the regular season, but disappears come playoff time.

The two-time league MVP was actually quite good in the playoffs, however, but yet again got spurned by poorly timed drops. Mark Andrews was the main culprit with the season on the line, while Baltimore simply has not been able to get out of its own way in crunch time in recent years.

On paper, the Ravens look like a solid value and are at a minimum in the mix to make a title run. There is no denying that they keep falling short for whatever reason, but with bruising tailback Derrick Henry still around, this remains a nasty offense that can hurt you from all over the field.

Health will be key for the Ravens. Henry is obviously not getting any younger, while the passing attack continues to rely on some bodies that are either on the older side or historically have struggled to stay healthy.

In Lamar We Trust, of course, so if the Ravens can simply stay on the field and catch passes in the clutch, they will have a shot. Head coach John Harbaugh is the key piece to the puzzle, too, while the team should field a solid defense, as they’re so often known to do.

AFC Championship Betting Value

These NFL teams offer betting value to win the AFC Championship based on their current odds and overall potential:

Cincinnati Bengals (+800)

Joe Burrow would have won the NFL MVP if the rest of his team was any good last year. Well, more specifically, the defense for his Cincinnati Bengals was positively atrocious. It likely helped him pad his stats to some degree, but he was also forced to air it out and play hero ball because Cincy couldn’t stop a nosebleed.

Burrow’s video game numbers at least kept the Bengals afloat in the AFC North, and they weirdly had a shot at the playoffs late in the year, even though they had no business getting in.

Offensively, the Bengals are a Super Bowl threat. The Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase connection remains as elite as it gets. The team extended him and also held onto Tee Higgins, while last year helped unveil a diamond in the rough via Chase Brown’s explosion.

The problem? That terrible defense could end up going from ghastly to impossible to overcome.

If you thought the Bengals struggled defensively in 2024, just wait for what life could be like now that Sam Hubbard is retired and Trey Hendrickson could be seeking a trade.

Cincy is a tough sell due to their defensive issues. However, the offense is elite and if the defense can pick up its game a bit – and heck, maybe even if it can’t – this team could be a really fun bet at +800.

Los Angeles Chargers (+1200)

The Chiefs have been such an easy lock to reach the playoffs for so long because the AFC West has been an utter joke. That no longer appears to be the case, however, as the arrival of Jim Harbaugh instantly put the Bolts back on the map in terms of legit contention.

L.A. imploded in the playoffs in Harbaugh’s first year on the job, but things looked pretty good during the regular season, and stepping stones were established for this team to elevate going forward.

Having a true franchise passer can do wonders, and while Justin Herbert threw four picks and didn’t look the part in the biggest game of the year, he still has what it takes to give the Chargers a real chance at chasing a title.

Los Angeles did lose some defensive help with Joey Bosa leaving for Buffalo, but Harbaugh runs a tight ship and historically churns out strong defenses. That was the case last year when the Bolts finished with the second best scoring defense in all of football.

The Bolts should only be getting better. They let their aging and injured running back room go, and replaced it with stud rookie Omarian Hampton and veteran bruiser Najee Harris. The team also splurged in the draft, bringing in Ole Miss product Tre Harris to help bring a new dimension to their passing game.

The Los Angeles Chargers still have work to do, but they have the foundation of a title contender, making them a crazy fun bet at their +1200 betting odds.

AFC Championship Longshot

There are a few teams with interesting odds, but the most compelling longshot bet for the AFC is the Pittsburgh Steelers at +2200.

Mike Tomlin seems to have the Steelers in the thick of the AFC North on a yearly basis, and more often than not, Pittsburgh is doing work come postseason play. It hasn’t led to a ring in quite a long time, but Tomlin also hasn’t had a viable option under center since Ben Roethlisberger.

That still may not be the case, to be fair, as the Steelers are presently preparing to wage war with Mason Rudolph guiding the offense. I expect Aaron Rodgers to take over Pittsburgh’s offense in short order, though, while the grizzly veteran should be chomping at the bit for a shot to erase last year’s debacle with the New York Jets.

Rodgers could very well be washed at age 41, but he still flashed his age-old brilliance last season, and was routinely burned by poor coaching, odd decisions from the front office, and a supposedly great defense flatlining in the clutch.

Looking back, Rodgers probably never had a chance in the Big Apple. In Pittsburgh he gets a battle tested crew with a stoic presence on the sidelines, a balanced offence, and a legit defense.

The Steelers are not a lock to do much when they reach the playoffs, but the presence of Rodgers – should he find a way to turn back the clock even a little bit – gives them the tiny chance they’d need to work some magic.

AFC Championship Predictions

There is always going to be room for betting on NFL teams that offer high-end value. I think there are interesting narratives backing the likes of the Bengals, Chargers, and Steelers, for instance.

Heck, there’s even upside with some other teams like the Houston Texans or Las Vegas Raiders. However, the cream tends to rise to the top. Realistically speaking, it is quite likely that the AFC Championship comes down to one of the top three teams – KC, Baltimore, or Buffalo.

Buffalo and Baltimore are very good. In a very real way, they’re better than the Chiefs and have been for a while. Whether it’s the refs, those aforementioned teams collapsing, or Kansas City just always “finding a way”, it just hasn’t happened yet. Until now.

Kansas City could easily be back, but that was a brutal showing in the Super Bowl. Now is the time to bet against the Chiefs with confidence, and if last year is any indicator, I truly believe good things could finally be on their way for the Bills.

Buffalo has to get past these haunting playoff moments at some point. They also went out and got better on both sides of the ball, and as long as Josh Allen is leading the charge, you’ll have a believer in me.

I’d prefer the Bills to offer better value and not be the top betting favorite, but +325 just for them to reach the Big Game feels like a bet worth making.

Bet: Buffalo Bills (+325)

AFC Championship History 

The following is a list of the most recent AFC Conference Champions: