AFC Conference Winner

We have compared odds from a number of the different top online sportsbooks to find you the best number for each team to win the AFC Championship, from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Houston Texans.  

AFC Championship Futures     

The AFC Championship is one of the most highly-anticipated events during the National Football League (NFL) season with the winner of the game representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. AFC Championship futures are one of the most notable markets for NFL futures betting due to the important nature of the game itself.

The AFC Championship typically takes place during the final weeks of January, two weeks prior to the Super Bowl. The 2023 AFC Championship featured the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals with the Chiefs emerging victorious by a score of 23 to 20, to advance on to the Super Bowl, which they ultimately won. Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow certainly put on a show in the game, further proving the importance and allure of AFC Championship futurees wagers.

The New England Patriots stand alone as the team with the most AFC Championship victories with nine, all of which came between 2001 to 2019 with Tom Brady at quarterback. The Patriots won the Super Bowl on six occasions after emerging victorious in the AFC Championship.

What are AFC Championship Futures?

There are two prominent markets when it comes to AFC Championship futures betting. Let’s take a look at them:

To Win the AFC Championship

By far the most commonly seen type of AFC Championship futures market is to wager on the actual winner of the game. The market typically opens at major sportsbooks immediately following the conclusion of the previous season’s Super Bowl. The odds for the AFC Championship winner shift as major events occur across the season and during the offseason as well. 

The most obvious predictors of odds shifts are injuries and trades throughout the season and during training camp. It is a guarantee that the odds for every team will shift at least at some point between the conclusion of the previous season’s Super Bowl and the time the AFC Championship actually takes place. It is important to track breaking news around the NFL as it pertains to the futures market as a keen eye can get to the wagers with the most value.

AFC Championship Matchup Exacta

Another AFC Championship futures market is to bet on the exact matchup that will occur in the game and who will win. For example, if you believe that the exact matchup for the upcoming AFC Championship will be the Denver Broncos to defeat the Buffalo Bills, you can place a wager on the exacta. 

This type of futures bet on the AFC Championship is essentially a two-leg parlay that typically comes with long odds. It can be quite enjoyable to try your hand at making such a precise prediction and tracking the likelihood of your wager as the season progresses. 

While many sportsbooks keep this market going for the entire NFL regular season, there are plenty of other books that only open this market following Week 16 or 17.

FAQs

The process for placing bets on AFC Championship futures is quite simple. The labels on major sportsbooks for futures betting are straightforward and maximize the ease of exploring the market. Prospective bettors will be able to venture into the category labeled ‘NFL Futures’ and then click under a subcategory for ‘AFC Championship’. Every major sportsbook features some type of AFC Championship futures market at some point during the year.

As it relates to the market for the AFC Championship winner specifically, all 16 teams in the conference will be listed in the category. The odds shift with some teams dropping out of playoff contention entirely, as previously mentioned.

In the market for AFC exact outcomes, not all of the potential combinations for matchup will be present at major sportsbooks, but approximately a dozen of the most likely outcomes will.

Additionally, it is possible to parlay AFC futures wagers with futures for other major sports leagues including NBA, MLB, and NCAAF. For example, you can put together a parlay on the Los Angeles Chargers to win the Super Bowl while also having the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series and Memphis Grizzlies to win the NBA Finals.

There are a ton of wagers that become available as the AFC Championship game approaches. The typical bets on the moneyline, spread, and game totals will be present for the game, but there are plenty more that are more niche. These include player props, quarter betting, and even betting on the coin toss. If you truly want a 50/50 outcome bet similar to coin toss wagers, you can also bet on the final game total combined for both teams to end as an odd or even number.

Player props are becoming increasingly popular with statistical wagers on passing yards, rushing yards, and receiving yards being the most common. In addition to these wagers, some sportsbooks may offer unique proposition bets, such as the length of the national anthem or the color of the Gatorade shower for the winning coach.