Yahoo Sports 2024 NFL playoff picture: Everything you need to know ahead of AFC, NFC championships
Twenty weeks of NFL action have led to this Sunday, the conference championship games. The 2024 NFL playoffs are down to four teams with a chance at a championship in Super Bowl LVIII.
The top seeds in both conferences won in their playoff debuts last weekend but in very different ways. In the AFC, the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens took control in the second half to roll over the Houston Texans 34-10. In the NFC, the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers needed a game-sealing interception to complete a fourth-quarter comeback against the Green Bay Packers and earn a 24-21 win.
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Kansas City held on for a 27-24 win against Buffalo for the Chiefs' third playoff win in four seasons against the Bills. Kansas City now heads to their sixth consecutive AFC title game in Baltimore. The NFC's No. 3 seed Detroit Lions won 31-23 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to set up a matchup in the NFC title game against San Francisco. Sunday marks the Lions' first conference championship appearance since the 1992 NFL playoffs.
The Ravens are looking to earn their first Super Bowl berth in a decade with a win Sunday against Kansas City - a team that's made the Super Bowl three times in the last four seasons. This game features two of the NFL's best defenses from the regular season and a pair of MVP quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson's the favorite for his second MVP award this season. To make his first Super Bowl, he'll have to get past Kansas City's own two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
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San Francisco's no stranger to the NFC title game. Sunday marks the 49ers' third consecutive trip to the conference championship game and their fourth appearance in the last five seasons. They've won just one of those games back in the 2020 playoffs. Since then, there's been losses to the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles. Detroit's looking to be the latest conference foe to keep them out of the Super Bowl.
Here's everything you need to know about the conference championship round of the NFL playoffs.
NFL playoffs odds: conference championship round lines
Odds via BetMGM as of Tuesday evening.
AFC conference championship round
No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs @ No. 1 Baltimore Ravens
Spread: Ravens (-3.5)
Moneyline: Ravens (-200); Chiefs (+165)
Over/under: 44.5
NFC conference championship round
No. 3 Detroit Lions @ No. 1 San Francisco 49ers
Spread: 49ers (-7)
Moneyline: 49ers (-300); Lions (+240)
Over/under: 51
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NFL playoff schedule:
Conference Championships:
Sunday, Jan. 28
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 3 p.m. ET
Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers, 6:30 p.m. ET
Super Bowl LVIII:
Sunday, Feb. 11
TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. ET
TV, times and how to watch the NFL conference championship round:
Chiefs @ Ravens:
When: Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024
Where: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET/Noon PT
TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+, NFL+, Fubo TV
Lions @ 49ers:
When: Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024
Where: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT
TV: FOX
Stream: Fox Sports app, NFL+, FuboTV
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2023-24 NFL Playoff Bracket:
AFC playoff bracket
Wild card round
Divisional round
Conference championship game
This is the 12th time these teams have played each other and just the second time in the postseason. The Ravens won the last game between these two teams 36-35 in the 2021 season. Baltimore also won the only prior playoff matchup between the teams in the wild card round of the 2011 NFL playoffs.
NFC playoff bracket
Wild card round
Divisional round
Conference championship game
This will be the 69th time the 49ers and Lions face off but just the third time in the postseason. San Francisco has won 16 of the last 18 matchups between the two teams and won the most recent postseason matchup, a 24-23 win in the 1984 NFL playoffs.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NFL playoff picture: What to know for conference championships
