This weekend, we will find out which teams will participate in Super Bowl LX. On Sunday, January 25, the AFC and NFC championship games take place. The AFC title game finds the New England Patriots traveling to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams travel north to Washington to face the Seattle Seahawks. We look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the AFC championship game.
The New England Patriots finished the 2025 NFL season in first place in the AFC East with a 14-3 record. The team went 14-1 after a 1-2 start to finish the year. The Pats, led by MVP candidate quarterback Drake Maye, defeated the Chargers and Texans to make it to the AFC title game.
The Denver Broncos were the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, finishing the year 14-3 and winning the AFC West. The team played well behind QB Bo Nix, but he will not be under center in the title game after suffering a broken foot during the team’s overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. Instead, Jarrett Stidham will get the start on Sunday.
The AFC championship game airs on CBS and Paramount+ at 3:00 p.m. ET.
| To Win AFC Championship Game |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | -250 | -245 | -245 |
| Denver Broncos | +207 | +205 | +205 |
| Patriots -4.5 | -115 | -110 | -110 |
| Broncos +4.5 | -105 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 41.5 Points | -110 | -105 | -110 |
| Under 41.5 Points | -110 | -115 | -110 |
Before we lay out the odds, preview, and prediction for the AFC championship game check out our NFL betting odds and Super Bowl LX odds.
The last time the New England Patriots lost a road game was December 22, 2024, when they fell 24-21 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 16 of the regular season. The club missed the playoffs that year with a 4-13 record, finishing in last place in the AFC East. The Pats bounced back this year, and they are the betting favorites to win the AFC championship game.
Drake Maye needs to limit his mistakes this week. In two playoff games, the Patriots quarterback has thrown two interceptions and fumbled the ball six times. On the positive side, Maye has thrown for four touchdowns and come up big when the team has needed him.
The Broncos had one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL during the regular season, but the team struggled last week against the Bills. Meanwhile, the Pats offense has been very good at picking up yards on the ground, averaging 156.1 yards per game over their last seven outings. New England needs to establish its run game early on Sunday. Rhamondre Stevenson will be one of the key players for the Patriots. The running game will also allow New England to eat up the clock against Denver.
The Patriots’ red-zone defense has been excellent in the playoffs, allowing one touchdown in six trips inside the 20. If the team can play that well on Sunday, they will be hard to beat, even on the road.
The big question facing the Denver Broncos is how the team fares with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting on Sunday. With that, head coach Sean Payton is tasked with putting together a game plan that will allow Stidham to succeed. Payton has said the right things this week, “In our three years, watching him day-in and day-out that you guys don’t have access to. He will be ready to go and ready for the moment.” Stidham has not started a game since late in the 2023 season.
Defense will be the name of the game for the Broncos. Denver needs to do everything it can to limit the Patriots’ time of possession and get its own offense on the field as much as possible. The team did not do that against Buffalo, and it nearly cost them. What saved the team were its five takeaways against the Bills. Denver must capitalize on opportunities on Sunday, as New England has given up five turnovers during the playoffs.
Denver’s offense might come down to the rushing game in the conference final, and that’s troublesome considering the club had just 70 yards on the ground last week against Buffalo, and a middle-of-the-pack 118 yards per outing during the regular season.
Even with Bo Nix, this game was going to be a tough one for the Broncos. Without him, the team needs to play a nearly perfect 60 minutes to get the win. That’s a big ask at this point in the year.
The New England Patriots have not been to the Super Bowl since 2018 when they lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles. That changes on Sunday when they beat the Denver Broncos on the road. The betting pick is for the New England Patriots to beat the Denver Broncos.
Don’t expect a high-scoring game on Sunday, as both teams will look to run the ball on offense and eat up as much clock as possible.
The betting pick is for the Patriots and Broncos to combine for fewer than 41.5 points.
See below the top Las Vegas betting sites where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
