Things are moving fast here in the NFL postseason, as only four teams are left in the running to win it all. On one hand, the Seahawks and Rams are ready to battle it out in the NFC with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. On the other side of the bracket, the Patriots are our pick to win the 2026 AFC Championship Game. Will Drake Maye and Co. come out on top?
That's what a lot of people are expecting, as the Broncos are dealing with a ton of adversity right now. In case you missed it, quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle and he's now out for the rest of the season. Because of this, Jarrett Stidham has taken over as the starter, which is not what anyone expected for this matchup.
| AFC title odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pats to win | -150 | -150 | -150 |
| Broncos to win | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| Over 45.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 45.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“Yeah, I think he challenges me,” Maye said of Mike Vrabel in a recent interview. “He challenges me really every day, every day in practice, every day, every time I come back from the sideline from a drive, he’s always got something to say. It’s not like it’s — it’s usually something meaningful and that’s worth something. Trying to listen to him as much as I can."
According to the best online sports betting sites, New England now holds -150 NFL betting odds to win the AFC Championship, with the Broncos at +225. Denver is going to be the home team for this one, but New England has the clear advantage after the Nix injury. It will be interesting to see how things go here, but we're going with the Broncos as our selection for this one.
Drake Maye has the second-highest pass completion rate in the NFL this season at 57% 🔥
Maye's completion percentage and his 9.4 yards per attempt under pressure this season are the highest marks by a Patriots QB since ESPN began tracking pressure in 2009. pic.twitter.com/47hXDIaEFJ
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 21, 2026
The under should hit between the Broncos and Patriots
While normally we would have thought that this would be a high-scoring affair, that's no longer the case, as the under should hit between the Broncos and Patriots. Not having Nix is going to be a major bummer for the Denver offense, as Nix is a stud quarterback. With the greatest respect for Stidham, he doesn't come close. The Patriots will score a lot, though, as Maye is playing at an elite level.
“He’s got a little tough sarcasm where I want to laugh, but you don’t really want to," Maye added when discussing his head coach. "I think he’s a big dude, too. I respect somebody that, shoot, looking me in the eye, and he’s always got something to say, and I think it’s always something that is either funny or helps the team and helps us win.”
Pat & Nik Bonitto speak on Bo Nix’s injury & their belief in Jarrett Stidham 💯
Pat: "I heard the news about Bo & my heart dropped ... it's unfortunate but we got all the trust in Stiddy."
Nik: "Stiddy got all the confidence ... he be throwing no-look passes." pic.twitter.com/1reUmchvJi
— Closed on Sundays with Pat and Terrion (@closedsundaypod) January 21, 2026
If you're considering getting some bets in on this game, this is our reminder for you that the top sportsbooks have plenty of great promotions and bonuses going on right now. This includes the teams over at Bovada and BetOnline, who consistently have special deals going on. This includes right now with the NFL postseason in full swing.
As for the action back on the gridiron, the over/under for this game has been set at 45.5 points. While we would have gone with the over last week, that's no longer the case. Something tells us the Nix injury is going to make this a low-scoring game. We're going with New England to win 27-10, which means the over won't hit. That's right, we're going with the under.
The Seahawks remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season
While a lot of the attention right now is on the Broncos and Patriots, don't forget that the Seahawks remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. Things of course are not going to be Seattle, as they are hosting the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game this weekend. Seattle is a small favorite, but the Rams are going to make things tough.
The Seahawks are the No.1 seed in the NFC this season and they split their season series with the Rams. Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams and others are going to be motivated to post quite the upset. It's going to be on Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Seattle playmakers to prevent that from happening.
As things stand, the Seahawks hold +225 Super Bowl betting odds, which has people in the area thinking that Mike Macdonald and his players will be able to get things done for the second time in team history. It's not going to be easy at all, but Seattle is definitely a team to keep a close eye on moving forward.
