Conference Championship Blueprint: Why History Backs Favorites and High Totals

Updated January 2026 | 7 min read

The NFL Conference Championship round is where the "separation" happens. While the public often hunts for underdogs and defensive battles, the Spreadspoke Historical Dataset tells a story of dominant favorites and scoring outbursts. We analyzed 94 Conference Championship games with point spreads and 78 with Over/Under data to find the definitive edges for this weekend.

The Favorite’s Fortress: 52–42 ATS

In the final hurdle before the Super Bowl, the superior team on paper rarely falters. While regular-season spreads can be traps, the Conference round is historically the most reliable round for "chalk" bettors.

Metric (Conference Round) Total Games Record / Wins Win/Cover %
Favorites Against the Spread9452–4255.3%
Home Team Straight Up9464–3068.1%
Home Underdog ATS158–753.3%

The take-away is clear: betting the favorite isn't just the "easy" play—it's the data-backed play. Even in the rare event of a Home Underdog, history shows they fight to a winning record (8-7) against the spread.

The "Total" Sweet Spot: Don't Fear the High Line

A major storyline this week is the line movement in the Rams-Seahawks matchup, which opened at 47.5 and has moved to 45.5. While bettors often shy away from "Overs" as lines move down, our data suggests the 45.5 threshold is a massive historical indicator for scoring.

O/U Threshold Record (O-U-P) Over %
Total 45.5 or Higher21–14–160%
High Shootout (48.0+)15–8–162.5%
Overall Championship O/U43–33–255.1%

Since 2014, the "Over" has become even more consistent, hitting at a 61% clip (13-8-1). In this round, elite offenses tend to find the endzone regardless of the stakes or the weather.

Championship Data Since 2014

Below is a snapshot of every Conference Championship game over the last decade. Note the dominance of home winners and high-scoring results.

Date Matchup (Home vs Away) Score Home Spread Spread Result O/U Line O/U Result
2025-01-26Eagles vs Commanders55-236.0Favorite47.0Over
2025-01-26Chiefs vs Bills32-291.0Favorite49.5Over
2024-01-2849ers vs Lions34-317.5Underdog53.5Over
2024-01-28Ravens vs Chiefs10-174.5Underdog44.0Under
2023-01-29Eagles vs 49ers31-72.5Favorite45.5Under
2023-01-29Chiefs vs Bengals23-201.5Favorite48.0Under
2022-01-30Rams vs 49ers20-173.5Underdog46.0Under
2022-01-30Chiefs vs Bengals24-277.0Underdog54.5Under
2021-01-24Packers vs Buccaneers26-313.0Underdog53.0Over
2021-01-24Chiefs vs Bills38-243.0Favorite55.0Over
2020-01-1949ers vs Packers37-208.0Favorite46.5Over
2020-01-19Chiefs vs Titans35-247.0Favorite51.0Over
2019-01-20Saints vs Rams23-263.0Underdog55.5Under
2019-01-20Chiefs vs Patriots31-373.0Underdog56.0Over
2018-01-21Patriots vs Jaguars24-207.5Underdog46.0Under
2018-01-21Eagles vs Vikings38-7-3.0Underdog39.0Over
2017-01-22Patriots vs Steelers36-175.5Favorite50.0Over
2017-01-22Falcons vs Packers44-216.5Favorite59.5Over
2016-01-24Broncos vs Patriots20-18-3.0Underdog44.5Under
2016-01-24Panthers vs Cardinals49-153.0Favorite47.5Over
2015-01-18Patriots vs Colts45-77.0Favorite52.0Push
2015-01-18Seahawks vs Packers28-228.5Underdog45.0Over

Key Takeaways for Championship Sunday

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