2026 AFC Championship Game prediction, odds: Expert reveals Broncos vs. Patriots picks

The 2026 AFC Championship Game is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET as the top-seeded Denver Broncos host the No. 2 New England Patriots on Sunday. The Broncos had a first-round bye and then beat the Bills in a thriller in the divisional round. The Patriots knocked off the Chargers and Texans to reach the conference championship game. Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for Denver, with Bo Nix (ankle) out for the rest of the year. 

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Empower Field at Mile High. New England is a 5.5-point road favorite in the latest Broncos vs. Patriots odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under is 42.5. 

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Before making any Patriots vs. Broncos picks, check out the NFL predictions from SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall.

For years Vegas-based Bruce Marshall was synonymous with The Gold Sheet, the famed sports betting newsletter. With a background in play-by-play work and sports information while in college, Bruce joined TGS in 1981 when hired by the legendary Mort Olshan and served as executive editor for many years. Marshall has crushed his NFL picks, going 58-38-2 (+1494) in his last 98 NFL against the spread picks.

Now, Marshall has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for Broncos vs. Patriots.

He's leaning Under on the point total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.

So who wins Broncos vs. Patriots, and what x-factor makes one side of the spread hit HARD? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the expert who is a blistering 58-38-2 in his last 98 NFL picks!