Chiefs vs. Bengals: NFL Week 17 betting odds, preview, and pick

Two teams fighting for AFC supremacy — one a surprise, the other not so much — meet in Week 17. A lot is on the line when the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Let's examine this AFC matchup in depth, starting with the latest betting odds.

Chiefs are back to Super Bowl form

After starting the season 3-4, with losses to four AFC contenders, the Chiefs have reeled off eight consecutive victories, including wins over top NFC contenders, Dallas and Green Bay. They continue to improve each week in different aspects of the game. It all started with the turn on defense.

The Chiefs allowed 29.0 points per game in their 3-4 start. However, since then they have only allowed 12.9 points per game in their eight-game winning streak. They also only forced seven turnovers in their first seven games, but they have forced 21 turnovers in the last eight games.

After improving the defense, they then started to improve the offense. After averaging only 25.3 points per game in the first 12 games of the season, they have averaged 39.3 points per game in the past three games. This is a deadly combo that has brought this team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and could make it three straight for Kansas City if it continues.

Young Bengals ahead of schedule

The Bengals have a 25-year-old quarterback, 25-year-old running back, and their top-three receivers are 21 years old, 22 years old, and 27 years old. Yet, they find themselves alone in the lead in the AFC North with two games to go and are tied with the third best record in the AFC.

Joe Burrow has a shot at reaching 5,000 passing yards if he can average 417.5 passing yards per game over the final two games. While that may seem like an unreasonable achievement, Burrow has gone over this number twice this season.

The two youngest players on the offense, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, have each gone over 1,000 yards receiving with two games still yet to play. The Bengals are the first team in NFL history to have two 1,000-yard receivers both under the age of 23. If this team is already this good, who knows what the future holds for them.

Chiefs and Bengals betting trends

• Chiefs are 6-0 ATS in their last six games as a favorite
• Bengals are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games in January
• The Over is 5-1 in the Chiefs' last six games in January
• The Under is 5-1 in the Bengals' last six games as an underdog
• The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these teams
• The Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings

Get ready for playoff football

January is the time for NFL playoffs, and while this game may be a regular-season game, it has all the makings of playoff football. The Bengals are playing for the AFC North division title, and the Chiefs are playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye.

These two teams are a rarity in that they rank in the top 13 in both offensive and defensive scoring. They are also both top-10 passing offenses. One major difference between the two teams is in turnovers. The Chiefs have forced 28 turnovers this year, while the Bengals have only forced 19 turnovers.

This game should be exciting and will have a lot of firepower. However, ultimately, I like the Chiefs to show their experience in big games and come out on top in a playoff-like game in Cincinnati.  

Score prediction: Chiefs 31, Bengals 21

NFL Week 17 picks: Chiefs -5, Over 51

Chiefs vs. Bengals Pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Chiefs to cover the spread and the score to go Over the projected total.