Making a prediction for which team will win the 2023 AFC Championship Game isn't easy. The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs have both been favored at different times throughout the week, and the point spread hasn't reached a field goal in either direction.

Which team are the experts picking to win the AFC Championship Game? Some publications are split between the Bengals and Chiefs, though Cincinnati ultimately is the most popular pick.

Of the 10 experts from The Athletic who were asked to predict a straight-up winner, five picked the Bengals and five picked the Chiefs. It's a similar case at ESPN, where half the experts have predicted Cincinnati or Kansas City to come out on top.

The tie is broken by CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated's The MMQB. Seven of the eight expert picks at CBS Sports are for the Bengals. Four of the five MMQB staffers who made predictions went with Cincinnati

Two days before the AFC Championship Game kicks off, the odds favor the Chiefs by 1.5 points. Kansas City opened the week as 2.5-point favorites, but the line eventually moved in favor of Cincinnati. The Bengals were briefly 2.5-point favorites, until some questions about Patrick Mahomes' sprained ankle were answered when the quarterback was a full participant in practice Wednesday.

The recent history between the two teams has been dominated by Cincinnati, albeit in close games. The Bengals beat the Chiefs 34-31 in Week 17 of last year before winning a rematch in the 2022 AFC Championship Game, 27-24. In Week 13 of this season, the Bengals topped the Chiefs by the same score as their playoff meeting.

The Bengals have won 10 straight games. The Chiefs have home-field advantage and a league-best 15-3 record.

Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to pass the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Getty Images