Bills vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Game odds, spread: Kansas City opens as 3-point favorite, status of Patrick Mahomes (concussion) looms large

No question that the biggest storyline in the NFL this week will be the status of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after he left Sunday's 22-17 divisional round win over the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter with a possible concussion. NFL oddsmakers at William Hill Sportsbook have opened the Chiefs as 3-point home favorites for next Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the visiting Buffalo Bills, but that line would swing at least by a touchdown, most likely, if Mahomes can't play. The total is 50.5 and that would clearly drop without Mahomes. Kickoff is 6:40 p.m. ET on CBS.

Chad Henne has been in the NFL since 2008 but had never thrown a playoff pass until relieving Mahomes against the Browns. Henne was 6-for-8 for 66 yards and a pick in the Cleveland end zone (horrible pass). It looked as if the Chiefs would blow out the Browns up 19-3 at the half, but the Mahomes injury changed everything and dropped Kansas City to 1-8 against the spread in its past nine games.

Kansas City also played Sunday without top running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (hip, ankle) and wideout Sammy Watkins (calf).

Buffalo will be on an extra day of rest after beating visiting Baltimore 17-3 on Saturday, the Bills' eighth straight victory. The Ravens appeared set to tie the game 10-all late in the third quarter before Taron Johnson picked off Lamar Jackson and returned it 101 yards for a touchdown. It was Jackson's first career red-zone interception. He had 49 touchdowns and zero picks in the red zone in his career entering, including playoffs.

The Chiefs were 5.5-point favorites when they visited Buffalo in Week 6 on a Monday night, and Kansas City won 26-17. Mahomes was 21-for-26 for 225 yards and two scores. K.C. also rushed for 245 yards and a TD; Edwards-Helaire had 161 yards on 26 carries. Josh Allen was 14 of 27 for 122 yards, two scores and a pick for the Bills.

It's the first playoff meeting between the Chiefs and Bills since Buffalo beat visiting Kansas City 30-13 in the AFC title game on Jan. 23, 1994. Neither Mahomes nor Allen had been born yet. 

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