When the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship two years ago, it was the first win for an underdog of at least 6 points in a conference championship since January 2013.
It ended a six-game losing streak for those teams and gave them a fourth win in 14 opportunities over the last 20 years.
The Detroit Lions can make it two in a row.
The Lions opened as a 6-point underdog against the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship. As of Tuesday’s NFL odds at BetMGM, they’re +6.5, which would be their biggest underdog number since closing as a 9.5-point dog against the Buffalo Bills last season.
The Lions covered in a 28-25 home loss, doing their part in the most profitable regular-season for dogs of at least 6 points in 20 years (+9.5% ROI). Now they’re trying to put those 6-point dogs over .500 in conference championship games.
Those teams are 7-7 against the spread. With another ATS win on Sunday, they’d be 6-4 in the last 10 opportunities:
Win: Bengals +7 (at Chiefs) in 2022
Loss: Titans +7.5 (at Chiefs) in 2020
Loss: Packers +8 (at 49ers) in 2020
Win: Jaguars +7.5 (at Patriots) in 2018
Loss: Packers +6.5 (at Falcons) in 2017
Win: Packers +8.5 (at Seahawks) in 2015
Loss: Colts +7 (at Patriots) in 2015
Win: Ravens +8 (at Patriots) in 2013
Win: Ravens +7 (at Patriots) in 2012
Before the Bengals’ win over the Chiefs two years, the Ravens were the last team to win outright as an underdog of at least 6 points. They beat the Patriots, 28-13, to reach Super Bowl XLVII.
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