The football games today will decide who moves on to Super Bowl 60, with the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams still in the hunt.
Conference Championship Sunday starts in Denver, where the Broncos host the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, followed by a primetime NFC matchup between the Seahawks and Rams. Denver is chasing its first Super Bowl trip since 2015, while New England looks to return for the first time since 2018. In the NFC, Seattle hopes to make its first Super Bowl appearance in over a decade, while Los Angeles aims to reach the Big Game for the second time in five seasons.
Here’s a look at kickoff times, TV info, betting odds, expert picks, and key storylines for both championship games.
AFC Championship Preview: Broncos vs Patriots Odds, Kickoff Time, and Predictions
Denver enters after defeating the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime, marking the franchise’s first playoff win since its 2015 Super Bowl season. Shortly after that victory, head coach Sean Payton confirmed quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending broken ankle.
Backup Jarrett Stidham will make his fifth career start — and first since 2023 — against the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
New England returns to the conference championship for the first time since its 2018 Super Bowl run. Quarterback Drake Maye led the Patriots back into contention, but the defense has dominated the postseason.
New England allowed just 19 total points and forced six turnovers in playoff wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans, including five takeaways in a 28-16 Divisional Round victory.
The matchup sets up as a defensive battle, with Denver and New England ranking third and fourth in points allowed during the regular season.
According to DraftKings, New England opened as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5 points. The Patriots are listed at -275 on the moneyline, while Denver sits at +225.
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News predicted a 24-13 Patriots win, writing, “There’s no reason to believe Stidham can re-create the same kind of unique magic.”
Bill Bender also backed New England, 24-16, adding, “It’s just going to be tough to pull this off without the Patriots imploding on the road.”
Across major outlets, 21 experts picked New England while four selected Denver.
Kickoff is set for Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET on CBS, with streaming available on Paramount+ and Fubo.
NFC Championship Preview: Seahawks vs Rams Odds, Kickoff Time, and Predictions
The NFC Championship, the second of the two football games today, follows at 6:40 p.m. ET on FOX, with streaming available on Fox Sports and Fubo, as the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams.
Seattle is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 46 points. The Seahawks are -142 on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +120, again according to DraftKings.
Dating back to 2024, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has faced the Rams four times, with his teams going 1-3 in those matchups. He has already thrown six interceptions against Los Angeles this season and enters Sunday dealing with an oblique injury.
Meanwhile, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has not thrown an interception against Seattle this year, posting five touchdowns and zero picks.
Analyst Eric Cohen noted that while Stafford has not been at his best this postseason, he still prefers him in a big game setting. He also pointed to Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua as a potential difference-maker, even if he doesn’t replicate his 225-yard, two-touchdown performance from Week 16.
Cohen added that he witnessed Stafford and Darnold face off in last January’s playoff game, which moved to Arizona, calling it a lopsided matchup, and predicted Los Angeles would advance.
Iyer projected a 27-23 Seahawks win, citing Seattle’s defense and home-field advantage.
Bender picked Los Angeles 26-23, questioning whether Stafford has one more road victory left.
Expert selections remain split, according to Yahoo, with 15 analysts backing Seattle and 10 choosing Los Angeles.
NFL Football Games Today: Odds and Predictions for Broncos-Patriots and Seahawks-Rams