:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71917582/1246426959.0.jpg "NFL picks: Player prop bets for Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs. Bengals in AFC Championship")
In what may become an annual tradition at this rate, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals will go head-to-head in the 2023 AFC Championship Game. Postseason football with the highest stakes calls for the star players to show up and perform, and that remains true for star tight end Travis Kelce. Let's take a look at some of the best player props for the All-Pro tight end for Sunday's conference championship game.
Travis Kelce prop bets for AFC Championship Game
Kelce finished with a dominant game in last week's win over the Jaguars, grabbing a game-high 14 receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns. What's key to note is that he did this regardless of who was under center, as Chade Henne briefly came in to lead a touchdown-scoring drive with Patrick Mahomes on the sideline due to injury. While the star tight end was held without a touchdown versus Cincinnati back in Week 13, the postseason is when you feed the ball to your best players. Kelce is the undisputed top target for Mahomes, so you can bet he's going to find him in the end zone at least once.
While Kelce was limited to 56 receiving yards back against Cincinnati in Week 13, the stakes in the regular season are by far different from the postseason. Look no further than last year's AFC title game, against this same defense, in which he had 10 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown reception. Unlike JuJu Smith-Schuster or Marques Valdes-Scantling, whose skillsets are a perfect fit for shots downfield, Kelce can be a threat in the middle of the field or over the top. The Mahomes-Kelce duo is a clear winning recipe, so look for the star tight end to hit his prop total Sunday night.
The Bengals surrendered an average of 5.5 receptions per game to opposing tight ends in the regular season, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. Even though he was limited to 56 yards receiving in Week 13, Kelce still saw six targets in the effort. With a Super Bowl trip on the line there's no doubt that Mahomes will look towards his most consistent and trustworthy target, so looks coming his way should not be an issue. He hauled in a game-high 14 targets in last week's win and has a great chance to carry over that momentum into this weekend's title game.