LOS ANGELES (NewsNation Now) — After what’s being hailed as the best weekend in NFL history, Las Vegas Sportsbook directors tell NewsNation that more Americans are gambling on conference championship games.
Sports betting has dramatically increased throughout the course of the pandemic as more states legalize online betting, and it’s ramping up as the NFL conference season is underway.
“[The National Football Conference Championship Game] along with the American Football Conference Championship Game, Super Bowl, and the college football championship game, are our four biggest sporting events of the year,” said Superbook Sports Book Director John Murray.
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 42 to 36, advancing Kansas City to the AFC Championship Game. Kansas City will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Jan. 30. Sportsbook has Kansas City as 6.5-point favorites, believing the team will capitalize on the home-field advantage and momentum from last weekend’s overtime finish.
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to advance to the NFC Championship Game. The Rams will now host the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 30. The team has opened as 3.5-point favorites, with -165 odds to win the conference title and advance to the Super Bowl.
When betting against sports events experts recommend keeping track of your bets, wins and losses.
A rule of thumb: Never bet more than you can afford.