Former NFL MVP picks Patriots to beat Chiefs in AFC Championship Game

The New England Patriots will be underdogs Sunday when they travel to Kansas City to play the No. 1 seed Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Oddsmakers have pegged the Chiefs as 3-point favorites, but you can bet there will be plenty of people wagering on the abilities of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick to find a way to upset Kansas City for a Super Bowl LIII berth.

One former NFL MVP, Boomer Esiason, is picking the Patriots to pull it off, and he explained why Monday on WEEI's "Mut and Callahan."

“I think the game will be close," Esiason said. "I think it's a good game. I’m picking the Patriots to win the game. I’m sticking with them. I think that Belichick and (Brian) Flores and, of course, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady will come up with something that will keep this game close and they’ll hold onto the ball a little bit more. I just think it's going to come down to the fourth quarter. I think it’s exactly the dream matchup we wanted at CBS. We got it, and the fact that it’s Brady and Belichick, McDaniels and Flores, going on the road against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid makes it a really enticing matchup.”

The Patriots haven't won an AFC Championship Game on the road since 2004, but you have to like their chances against the Chiefs given the way they played in Sunday's 41-28 beatdown of the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Divisional Round. Brady threw for 343 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions, while rookie running back Sony Michel racked up 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

It was the type of classic Patriots playoff performance that should instill plenty of confidence in the team as it prepares for this season's toughest test.

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