There’s a social media trend circulating now that 2016 is a decade ago. It seems that the NFL is taking part as the Broncos and Patriots will face off in the 2026 AFC Championship. These teams matched up in 2016 with Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady going head-to-head.
These teams feature fresh faces, but both are equally as strong as they were 10 years ago. Denver and New England both had 14-3 regular season records, but the Broncos earned the No. 1 seed. That gives Denver home-field advantage for this matchup.
The Broncos also hosted the AFC Championship during the 2015 season, defeating the Patriots 20-18. Denver went on to win the Super Bowl. New England reached the Super Bowl in three consecutive years after this, adding two more Lombardi trophies to its illustrious dynasty.
The Patriots defeated the Texans 28-16 to reach their first AFC Championship game since the 2018 season. They will travel to Denver, who beat Buffalo 33-30 in overtime, to reach its first AFC Championship game since the 2015 season.
The Broncos will be without starting quarterback Bo Nix, as he suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Bills.
Here are the opening odds on DraftKings Sportsbook for Broncos vs. Patriots in the AFC Championship.
Broncos vs. Patriots Opening Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook
New England opens as a 4.5-point favorite and -250 on the moneyline, while Denver is +205 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at O/U 41.5 points.
