Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens
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Kick-off: Sunday, January 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT
Why Kansas City will win: Two words: Patrick Mahomes. He is the single most terrifying football player on the planet to go against in a playoff matchup. He has an obvious track record of winning at the highest level. Not to mention, he’s playing with considerable confidence in the wake of taking down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on the road. If we zoom out further, the Chiefs as a whole have a championship pedigree. They won’t panic in the face of adversity. They’ve been here before, and will function accordingly under the leadership of Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Andy Reid.
Why Baltimore will win: Playing at home is always a nice advantage to have. You’re looking at a team with the better defense, the deeper offense, and the presumed league MVP in Lamar Jackson. All of these facts should help the Ravens get an edge in this contest. Kansas City had some injuries on the defensive side of the ball suffered this past weekend. We aren’t sure any of those players will be back for this contest. Even if they’re back, we aren’t sure it’ll matter very much. If Baltimore can take away Isiah Pacheco and Kansas City’s run game, making Patrick Mahomes throw the football — as illogical as that sounds — could work in Baltimore’s favor.
Prediction: Everything would seem towards taking Baltimore to win the game. As was laid out above, the Ravens have plenty of advantages in this contest pertaining to both personnel and the elements. However, the Mahomes factor should be nerve-wracking even for Baltimore fans. He has won the most playoff games of any quarterback in NFL history under the age of 30. Mahomes also has an 8-3 record as an underdog. This is the best record of any QB in the Super Bowl era with a minimum of 10 starts. Surely, the gunslinger will want to showcase his talents on the road in a game where his team isn’t favored. There’s also the probability of Taylor Swift rooting the Chiefs on in a cushy Baltimore suite next to a drunk Jason Kelce pounding beers shirtless. How can you go against Mahomes, let alone that scene?
Prediction: Kansas City 31, Baltimore 28
