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NFL Betting: Which Championship Sunday Specials Should You Target?

Gabriel Santiago
Gabriel Santiago@gps_onthemic

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Welcome to the NFL's conference championship week. To quote Kip from Napoleon Dynamite, "I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious."

All joviality aside, things around the league have long been intense. With trips to Super Bowl LVIII on the line, we as fans and bettors will be privy to two blockbuster title games this weekend.

The Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC crown in Sunday's earlier showdown. Later that afternoon, we'll head out west where the Detroit Lions are visiting the San Francisco 49ers to decide NFC supremacy.

To make the day all the more interesting, FanDuel Sportsbook is offering 50-plus exclusive markets, many of which are combination props. Being that there are still a few days until kickoff, let us explore some of these Championship Sunday Specials.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

NFL Conference Championship Betting

2023-24 NFL Championship Specials
Odds
Each Team to Score 1+ Passing TDs in Both Championship Sunday Games-175
Each Team to Score 1+ FGs in Both Championship Sunday Games-120
Each Team to Score 2+ TDs in Both Championship Sunday Games-110
Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, & Patrick Mahomes to Combine for 6+ Passing TDs+115
Each Team to Score 1+ FGs & 1+ TDs in Both Championship Sunday Games+140
Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, & Patrick Mahomes to Combine for 6+ Passing TDs+145
Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, & Lamar Jackson to Combine for 7+ Passing TDs+360

Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes to Combine for 6+ Passing TDs (+115)

Here's a prop that involves three of four starting signal-callers on Championship Sunday. Between Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes will we see six or more total touchdowns thrown?

With +115 odds in this market, my inclination is that this absolutely is a manageable feat. For starters, "Showtime" Mahomes -- who seems to be back in playoff mode -- has converted at least one touchdown pass in every contest dating back to Halloween. Over that stretch, Mahomes has tossed multiple TDs in half of his games played (including two to Travis Kelce last weekend). In short, even with a tough matchup in Baltimore, we can almost certainly count on Patrick for one or two scores through the air.

After the reigning MVP, this market will be relying solely on the NFC title bid. In the Bay Area, we'll see a quarterback duel between sophomore-phenom Brock Purdy and NorCal-native Jared Goff. Ideally, there will be four or more touchdowns thrown between the two players.

As a natural benefit, this game in Santa Clara will have more optimal passing conditions compared to the one on the East Coast; Sunday at Levi's Stadium is forecasted as sunny with temperatures in the high 60s. From there, I like how both offensive skill groups match up against the opposing secondaries.

Purdy -- who ranked third through the regular season with 31 tuddies thrown -- and his cast of George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel (questionable) and Christian McCaffrey are taking on a Lions defense that allowed an NFC-worst 7.8 yards per passing attempt. Subsequently, Detroit surrendered the sixth-most passing touchdowns in the regular season (28).

On the flip side, Goff has not exactly matched up well against his childhood team through the years. In his past five starts versus the 49ers, Goff's teams are 0-5. In that split, the California Golden Bears alum has produced a 7-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio. Still, Goff -- who was second in pass attempts and fourth in passing TDs -- is a high-volume thrower, and he just reached the best regular-season completion clip of his career (67.3%).

Behind an elite offensive line and with a dynamic skill group of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal, Goff will continue cooking with gas this weekend. If Detroit gets into a negative script (as being a 7.0-point underdog somewhat implies), I believe he throws multiple scores through the air for the second consecutive weekend.

Whether Mahomes, Purdy and Goff output touchdown totals of 2-2-2, 4-1-1 or 1-3-3 matters not; we are simply looking for six combined touchdowns between the three aforementioned quarterbacks. I am locking it in.

Each Team to Score 1+ FGs & 1+ TDs in Both Championship Sunday Games (+140)

For a plus-money market that involves both field goals and touchdowns for all four teams in action on Championship Sunday, continue reading.

Being that we are in the depths of the NFL playoffs, respective sides are now scratching and clawing for everything they can get. At certain times in the game, that will mean salvaging points by any means necessary -- field goal or touchdown.

With this market yielding +140 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, I believe we see each team in both games score at least one field goal (not an XP) and one touchdown. For reference, this market didn't cash last year on Championship Sunday. In 2022-23, three of four teams scored in both fashions, but San Francisco -- freshly dealing with Purdy's torn UCL -- managed only a touchdown. Still, this wager has converted in two of the past three seasons.

Barring any injury -- *knocks on wood* -- this is another collaborative market that stands a solid chance to hit at plus-money odds, especially since the required touchdown can come via passing, rushing, defensive or special teams. However, in the previous championship weekends that have lost this market, it is almost always the field goal that is left out.

We know the skill players well in Sunday's looming games, but let's survey our lineup of kickers. As a solid four, we see Justin Tucker (BAL), Harrison Butker (KC), Mike Badgley (DET) and Jake Moody (SF). Other than Moody, the other three kickers bring six or more years of NFL experience. From there, all four men averaged greater than one field goal made per game. To lead the way, Tucker and Butker individually did better than 1.8 FG made per contest in 2023.

As a bit of a wild card here, Badgley is worth a deeper look. Despite being a veteran kicker, Badgley was elevated to Detroit's active roster in December after his predecessor -- Riley Patterson -- missed a flurry of extra-point attempts. Still, the "Money Badger" is four-of-four on field goals in four games since returning to Motor City.

Genuinely, I don't think we'll see the teams pulling any punches this weekend, as every down will be paramount. To quote another film, The Waterboy, for two franchises, this Sunday will be the "last game of the year, Brent -- can't hold anything back now!" With that mentality, I see this market cashing for a plus-money return.

Speaking of kickers, keep an eye out for FanDuel Sportsbook's Oh My FG! Specials this week. If you're a fan of lengthy field goals, the market of "55+ Yard FG to be scored in the Championship Sunday Games" is paying out at +250 odds -- yes, this cashes if any kicker converts a FG from 55 yards or longer.


If you're betting on any of Sunday, January 28th's NFL playoff action, you can take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Playoffs No-Sweat Same Game Parlay. Check the promotions page for more information.

Looking for the latest NFL odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NFL betting options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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