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Matt Bowen, ESPN Staff Writer
There are just four teams left in the NFL playoffs, and this Sunday’s conference championship games will decide which two will go to Super Bowl LVIII. First up, the Chiefs go on the road to play the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, setting up Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson. Then the Lions look to continue their run in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. There’s a lot on the line, and we mapped out how all four teams can win and advance.
We dug into the tape to pick out keys to victory — one offensive and one defensive — and build out game-plan blueprints for every team. Based on what I’ve seen on tape and with some help from the numbers, we can get a better feel for how coaching staffs will scheme for personnel, game situation and coverage. We also picked out an X factor player who could play a big part for each of the four franchises. Here are the game-plan keys for both games, along with ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projections and ESPN BET lines for each matchup.
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Chiefs-Ravens | Lions-49ers
When: 3 p.m. ET (CBS)
ESPN BET: BAL -4 (44.5)
FPI prediction: BAL, 63.6%
