Conference Championships NFL betting tips and predictions – Copybet
The 2026 NFL playoffs have delivered everything fans hoped for — late drama, breakout stars, defensive masterclasses and two No.1 seeds still standing. Now only four teams remain, and Championship Sunday promises to be the most intense day of the season.
In the AFC, the New England Patriots travel to the altitude of Denver to face a Broncos team that has been almost flawless at home, albeit now with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham leading their offense after Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury.
Over in the NFC, two bitter rivals — the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks — meet for the third time this season with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
New England Patriots vs Denver Broncos
The AFC Championship returns to Empower Field, and that alone is a major advantage for Denver. The Broncos have turned their home stadium into a fortress, losing just once all season and suffocating opponents with a defence that ranks among the league’s best in points allowed, third‑down efficiency and red‑zone stops.
Their offence put enough points on the board to win 14 regular-season games and squeeze past the Buffalo Bills in overtime in last weekend’s Divisional Round, but the loss of Bo Nix is a major blow.
Jarrett Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots but never started an NFL game in New England, will be expected to manage the game by taking minimal risks and leave the heavy lifting to the Broncos’ defence.
New England has come to rely on the sensational play of Drake Maye more and more, but even he struggled in their 28-16 Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans, fumbling four times and throwing an interception.
Maye has been sacked 10 times in two playoff games after sustaining 47 sacks in the regular season and he can expect the Broncos, who led the league with 68 sacks this year, to come at him from all angles.
Moving the ball consistently could be tricky for both teams and the points total market reflects the expected defence-dominated nature of the game.
An average of 40 combined points was scored across the two previous Conference Championship meetings between these teams - both won by Denver at home - so the Under looks like being the play at this number.
Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks
The Rams and Seahawks know each other inside out, and their two previous meetings this season produced close-fought home victories after late rallies from the road teams.
Los Angeles defeated the Chicago Bears in overtime at a snowy Soldier Field to reach their first NFC title in four years while the Seahawks served up a sensational 41-7 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle.
The outcome of this matchup could rest on the arms of the two quarterbacks, or each player’s ability to handle the occasion.
While Matthew Stafford continues to deal with a right finger injury and the Rams have increasingly relied on their defence to grind out victories, the Super Bowl LVI winner’s temperament remains rock solid.
Meanwhile, Sam Darnold’s stellar campaign is starting to slow a little as he contends with an oblique issue.
The Seattle QB completed only 12 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown against San Francisco as lead rusher Kanneth Walker III grabbed the spotlight.
The Seahawks’ defence has been outstanding, allowing the fewest points per game in the regular season.
But the Rams have an opportunistic secondary capable of some game-changing plays and they will feast on any mistakes from Darnold, who threw six interceptions across the two regular-season clashes.
It’s been 11 years since the Seahawks last played a game of this magnitude and they may come up short in front of their vociferous home fans.