NFL Conference Championship Odds Update: Saints Remain Team to Beat

The Saints are one win away from locking up the top seed in the NFC and are a +130 favorite to win the NFC championship.

The New Orleans Saints moved to 12-2 straight up and 10-4 against the spread with their win over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. The Saints are one win away from locking up the top seed in the NFC and are a +130 favorite (wager $100 to win $130) on the updated NFC championship odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

It's difficult not to love the Saints right now; in a gutsy 12-9 win on the road, the defense had a chance to shine, bringing its average down to just 12.3 points per game over the team's last six games. With one of the best offenses in the NFL, a defense playing at a championship level and the likelihood of home field throughout the postseason, the Saints are the team to beat in both the NFC and in the entire league.

The Los Angeles Rams struggled for a second straight game on offense last Sunday, losing as 13.5-point favorites to the Philadelphia Eagles at home. The Rams are still going off at +200 to win the NFC and have enough talent to match up with the Saints, but they'll need to play at a much higher level to do so. Los Angeles will get a chance to right the ship against the hapless Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Rounding out the odds to win the NFC at online sports betting sites are the Chicago Bears (+450), Dallas Cowboys (+1300), Philadelphia Eagles (+1800), Seattle Seahawks (+1800) and Minnesota Vikings (+2000). Chicago has been on fire with a 7-1 SU and ATS run over its last eight games; the Saints are the play in the NFC, but bettors looking for a healthier payout should take a stab with the Bears.

In the AFC, the picture is a lot hazier. The Kansas City Chiefs are still the favorite to win the conference, but their AFC championship odds have dropped to +230 now that the Los Angeles Chargers (+310) have tied them in the standings at 11-3 SU. With one of these teams set to land in the top seed in the AFC and the other destined for a wild card spot, the risk to reward is very high on both right now.

Other contenders in the AFC include the New England Patriots (+325), Pittsburgh Steelers (+700), Houston Texans (+800), Baltimore Ravens (+1300) and Indianapolis Colts (+1700). With so much uncertainty in the conference, you could do worse than getting a team with Pittsburgh's experience at +700.