Pro Bowl Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/6/2022

DraftKings: AFC -1

WynnBet: PK 

Caesars: AFC -1

The Pro Bowl: The one time of year where a glorified game of two-hand touch is revered around the world with gracious praise or angst.

This year’s game gathers in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (to cap off an incredible sports weekend in Sin City) and will officially kick off the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

Much like we talked about the All-Star Game in the NHL, the Pro Bowl is normally a crapshoot in how to play it. Depending on how you’re feeling that day, the one-point swing between the favorite and underdog is about as ridiculous as it would seem.

But the Super Bowl participants do sway the game a tad with how things look. The Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game allowed the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to get some reps in the game. How many remains to be seen, but the Chiefs contingent will likely get a long look at some point. Mahomes, of course, was the MVP of the game in 2018.

And that 2018 season is one of four straight victories for the AFC; the three years prior saw the teams change with captains Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Deion Sanders. 

But Kansas city's involvement in this year's Pro Bowl is reason enough to believe that the AFC will make it five straight years or the victory in this game. Not to mention that it is also being held in the Las Vegas Raiders stadium, and the home team tends to make something out of this when it comes to playing its best game.

When there's a home team involved, there tends to be more of a contingent for the conference that the home team is rooting for. The NFC does possess a lot of talent, but will not have the Los Angeles Rams players on their roster.

If you are the NFC, you're hoping for the likes of Russell Wilson to take over and win a game. You also have the beneficiary of having the likes of Kyler Murray or even Kirk cousins as your quarterback, but in this type of game you need the playground quarterbacks to make plays.

This is why I think Murray is going to have a lot more responsibility in this game, and we're not going to see much of Cousins playing in this one. Mahomes on the other hand, and maybe even Justin Herbert, good possibly play a longer length in this game and find themselves playing down the stretch and making them more necessary plays to win the game.

I think this will stay a one-score game for the entirety of it, but the AFC will pull out a victory behind Mahomes and his teammates.

The total has gone under 50 in four of the last seven Pro Bowls.

Since returning to the AFC-NFC format, the NFC has scored under 30 points in three of four years

AFC: Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby may see extended time being in his home stadium. He finished this season with eight sacks.

NFC: With the playground rules, look for Dallas Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs to get some action after his league-leading 11 interceptions this season.