Most online sports betting sites are projecting a Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles match-up in Super Bowl LIX. KC is favored by -1.5 at home against the Buffalo Bills, and Philly holds a 6-point edge over the Washington Commanders in the latest Conference Championship betting lines.
The Chiefs have been a part of four out of the last five Super Bowls, winning three of them. The Eagles and Chiefs played each other in the Super Bowl the season before last.
Here are a few reasons why it would be good for the game of professional football if both Conference Championship Game underdogs advanced to Super Bowl LIX this Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills
The Bills have been one of the most dominant teams in the AFC since Josh Allen was drafted in 2018. Buffalo has won the AFC East division the past five seasons in a row but has yet to parlay that effort into a Super Bowl berth.
The Chiefs have eliminated Buffalo in three out of the last four NFL Playoffs. Sunday will be the fourth time they’ve faced off in the postseason in the previous five years.
If the odds at NFL betting sites are correct, we are in for another Bills heartbreak, just one game away from a championship opportunity.
In the United States, there’s not much fandom for Buffalo outside of the northern New York region, but they’ve got a strong following in Canada and the UK.
Another Bills loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs could sour their international fanbase, losing traction in communities where the NFL hopes to popularize the sport.
The Washington Commanders
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has had an immediate impact on the fortunes of the Washington Commanders. They are riding high on a seven-game winning streak heading into the NFC Conference Championship Game and on the cusp of making it to their first Super Bowl since 1992.
The Philadelphia Eagles are by no means perennial SB contenders, but a repeat of a game from two seasons ago won’t go over well if they lose to KC again.
A Commanders appearance in the SB is intriguing on many levels. Can the rookie QB get it done? Will Daniels become the next big thing in the NFL?
Super Bowl betting sites feature D.C. as the least likely team to win a championship. An underdog champion would give hope to other franchises who are desperate for a Lombardi Trophy.
The NFL still dominates the ratings, but streaming has diminished the overall volume of viewers. The last thing the league needs right now is for their fans to find a reason to watch something else. Another KC win could do just that.