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The Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship game line opened at KC -3
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Patrick Mahomes suffered a concussion in the third quarter versus Cleveland and will be on the concussion protocol with his status for Sunday against the Bills questionable
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The average day of return for NFL players on the concussion protocol is 7 days
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The last time the Bills played in the AFC Championship Game was Jan. 23, 1994
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The 2021 AFC Conference Championship game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs opened with a line of Chiefs -3 at BetOnline.
The Chiefs held off the Cleveland Browns 22-17 on Sunday to advance to their third straight AFC championship game. They did it mostly without starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a concussion midway through the third quarter. He finished 21 of 30 for 255 yards and a TD, and ran for another score.
Mahomes completed 11 of his first 12 passes and led the Chiefs to back-to-back touchdowns to start the game. He ran for the first and let Travis Kelce turn a dump-off into a 20-yard catch for the other, making him the first player since the 49ers’ Steve Young in 1995 with three straight playoff games with TDs on the ground and through the air.
Mahomes was tackled around the head with 7:27 left in the third quarter and left crumpled on the turf near midfield.
Mahomes, already hobbled by a foot injury, stumbled as he tried to get to his feet. He was eventually helped to the blue tent on the sideline, then ran to the locker room, where he was evaluated for a concussion.
“It kind of knocked the wind out of him and everything else,” Reid said after the game. “He’s doing great right now, which is a real positive as we look at this. He passed all the deals he needed to pass and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
Mahomes could pass the concussion protocol by Sunday's AFC Championship game but this all depends on the individual player.
According to the NFL’s concussion data, which is collected by healthcare data company IQVIA, the median time for quarterbacks who suffered a concussion between 2015-2019 to complete concussion protocol and return to play was seven days.
The oddsmakers have not factored Mahomes being sidelined into the opening line and, for the moment at least, anticipate his return.
Odds with Mahomes:
Bills at Chiefs -4
Over/Under 56
Odds witout Mahomes:
Bills at Chiefs +2
Over/Under 51
The Chiefs beat the Bills 26-17 in Buffalo in Week 6. The Bills have not lost a game since.
Bills cornerback Taron Johnson's had a record-tying, 101-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter, allowing Buffalo to defeat the visiting Baltimore Ravens 17-3 on Saturday night to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1993 season.
The last time the Bills played in the AFC Championship Game was Jan. 23, 1994. They beat the visiting Chiefs that year to earn their fourth straight trip to the Super Bowl (a game the Bills would lose for the fourth straight year).
Bills starting quarterback Josh Allen completed 23-of-37 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown.
The Chiefs will come into the AFC Championship game with a payout potential of $200 on every $100 bet to win the 2021 Super bowl. The Bills currently pay out $650 for every $100 bet to win the 2021 Super Bowl. These odds need to be locked in here.
- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
