The 2020 Pro Bowl will serve as the bridge connecting the end of the conference championship round and Super Bowl 54. While the stakes are not high and the result of the game doesn’t matter, it’s still a competition between the best of the best in the game of football today, so expect tantalizing plays and some considerable level of competitiveness. The AFC has won the last two editions of the Pro Bowl and has the all-time lead over the NFC in the head to head, 24-22.
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Betting Preview for the NFL Pro Bowl Featuring the AFC vs NFC on January 26, 2020
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
When: Sunday, January 26, 2020 3:00 PM ET
Line: AFC (odds) vs NFC (odds) – view all 2020 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN/ABC/Disney XD
Betting on the AFC
The AFC will be fronted by no other than Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had a sensational 2019 season, to say the least. Jackson is available to play in the Pro Bowl after the Ravens were bounced out of the playoffs by the Tennessee Titans, and oh boy, what a receiving corps he is going to have in Orlando. DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans and Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers will be the likely starting wide receiver tandem for the AFC team, while Cleveland Browns wideout Jarvis Landry and Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos provide depth down the field. Tyreek Hill has also been named a member of the AFC team, but his availability depends on whether the Kansas City Chiefs make the Super Bowl or not. That’s the same scenario for Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, who finished the regular season with a league-leading 1,540 rushing yards. If the Titans make the Super Bowl, the AFC will still have Browns tailback Nick Chubb, who was second in the NFL with 1,494 rushing yards. Of course, AFC’s defense is stacked to the gills, too. Joey Bosa (LA Chargers), Von Miller (Broncos), and JJ Watt (Houston Texans) plus Minkah Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Jamal Adams (NY Jets) will be looking to wreak havoc on their own side of the field.
Betting on the NFC
Whereas the AFC has Jackson, the NFC has Russell Wilson, who would have been the frontrunner to win this season’s MVP if it weren’t for the Ravens’ dual-threat quarterback. Wilson did not have the incredibly flashy stats of Jackson, but we was fantastic in making the most out of the talent around him in Seattle. Wilson finished the regular season with 4,110 passing yards and 31 touchdowns with only five interceptions and led the Seahawks to as deep as the divisional round in the playoffs. The NFC’s running backs are arguably better than their AFC counterparts, particularly in passing plays. Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers), Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys), and Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) are all excellent pass-catching tailbacks. The receiving corps of the NFC are composed of the likes of Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons), Michael Thomas (Saints), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Elliott will also be joined by Dallas teammate Amari Cooper. The defense has a couple of 49ers on it, with Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman, and if the Niners get eliminated by the Green Bay Packers, chances are both will play in Orlando. In any case, the NFC will still have defensive studs in Cameron Jordan (Saints), Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams), Khalil Mack (Chicago Bears), and Harrison Smith (Minnesota Vikings). The team will not have Luke Kuechkly, though. The linebacker has recently announced his retirement from football.
Writer’s Prediction
Team AFC wins, 37-30.
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