North Carolina gears up for last NFL conference championship Sunday without legal online sports betting

Impatiently and stubbornly awaiting one’s time is a tried and tested sports narrative that spans multiple sports and industries. North Carolina sports bettors understand this all too well, as their impatient dance with state legislation spanning years is finally coming to a concrete conclusion.

North Carolina sportsbook promo codes are set to launch in early 2024. Although the full mobile online sports betting platform won’t be available for at least a few weeks after Super Bowl 58 concludes, Tar Heel sports fans should anticipate NFL Championship Sunday this weekend for many reasons.

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Sports provide a wait-your-turn backdrop

Sure, a great percentage of the NC online sports bettors wanting to get rolling is beyond frustrated. After all, a couple of bordering states have already launched online sports gambling in full. At this point, both Tennessee and Virginia and entrenched in the ways of the modern digital sports betting landscape.

Therefore, North Carolina bettors can easily relate to one of the most common sports backdrops in history: wait your turn.

In the NBA, LeBron James was forced to await his championship time. Three decades ago, a young Michael Jordan fell to the hardwood time and again, courtesy of the physical Detroit Pistons’ infamous “Jordan Rules.” That was until he and his eventual dynasty Chicago Bulls squad finally broke through.

John Elway suffered through three Super Bowl losses before his glorious moment in the sun, which happened to occur twice before retirement. Elsewhere, in the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles fans could not believe what occurred in the 2017 Super Bowl (played in February 2018), simply because the organization had never before experienced Super Bowl-winning glory.

No matter the sport or situation, waiting your turn is a legitimate item up for playoff bids, and thus is the case en route to Super Bowl 58.

With Championship Sunday set in the NFL playoffs, the opening odds are out, and eventual legal North Carolina sportsbook users await their turn with great anticipation.

AFC and NFC championship game odds

Speaking of the impatient wait, let’s arrive at the topic of the day: NFL Championship Sunday.

Despite his greatest efforts, Josh Allen will have to wait at least another year. He and his Buffalo Bills simply could not knock off Patrick Mahomes’s Kansas City Chiefs at home this past Sunday.

However, the wait-your-turn narrative holds for the following two conference championship matchups:

• Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Saturday, Jan. 28, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET
• San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions: Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. ET

Is this finally the year that sees Lamar Jackson get to the Super Bowl? Baltimore has not been to the AFC championship game since its last Super Bowl triumph in the 2012 NFL season (2013 playoffs), which signals this is Jackson’s first-ever title game appearance.

On the other side of the bracket, the NFC championship game brings millions of individuals to the table. Detroit Lions fans showcased their starving nature in rabid form in the wild card and divisional rounds, but their team will have to knock off the No. 1-seeded San Francisco 49ers on the road if they’re to appear in the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

Or, how about Kyle Shanahan? Losing agonizingly to Tom Brady, as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, and then again to the Kansas City Chiefs a few years ago, Shanahan is yet again set up to finally take home his first chip.

Whose time is it?

The opening NFL Championship Sunday odds and lines are as follows (the first listed team is home), per bet365:

• Baltimore Ravens -3.5 (+100, -170 moneyline) vs. Kansas City Chiefs +3.5 (-120, +145 moneyline), O/U 44.5 (-110/-110)
• San Francisco 49ers -7.0 (+100, -305 moneyline) vs. Detroit Lions +7.0 (-120, +245 moneyline), O/U 51.0 (-110/-110)

Why North Carolina sports bettors should be engaged

Nah, your Carolina Panthers are undoubtedly not part of the Championship Sunday festivities. In an extremely uncertain football world, this much is absolutely certain.

Yet, despite legal NC online sportsbooks not launching until perhaps mid-March 2024, Tar Heel State gamblers should be greatly engaged in the NFL’s final four.

How else will you get ready for one of the state’s favorite yearly sports moments, March Madness?

While, yes, it’s a bummer to realize that NC betting won’t yet be live for the granddaddy of all sports gambling events, the Super Bowl, but the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament isn’t too shabby in its own right.

North Carolina’s college hoops status is legendary. With the likes of the North Carolina Tar Heels, Duke Blue Devils, and Wake Forest Demon Deacons representing the state, NC college ball continues to flourish.

Therefore, paying attention to the NFL playoff lines, digging into the sportsbook odds, and prepping yourself for the top NC sportsbook promo codes to come is the prescription to curing your nagging wait in line.

Beyond bet365, mega books such as DraftKings NC Sportsbook and FanDuel NC Sportsbook are also expected to launch in North Carolina at the appropriate time.

Better yet, for the legal sports bettors located near or willing to travel to one of the designated physical locations that currently allow retail online sports betting in North Carolina, NFL playoff betting is indeed live. This naturally applies to the AFC and NFC championship games.

While, on one hand, it’s appropriate to ask, “Why wait?” the charm that is the frustrating yet oh-so-rewarding pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is too poetic to dismiss.

Either way, for the patient or impatient, your time is coming, North Carolina, and the NFL’s final four can help get you ready.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not an online gambling operator or gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.