2023 AFC West Betting Odds: The Chiefs and Three Losers
Unless It’s the Apocalypse, Bet Everything on the Chiefs
Chiefs are at a Bargain Price to Win Division
What are we doing here exactly? The Kansas City Chiefs are just -170 to win the division per the AFC West betting odds. These are still the same Chiefs. You know, the defending Super Bowl champions with the best coach-quarterback tandem since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Just ignore its “competitors,” b.k.a. pretenders. This is an easy bet. And we don’t use the term lightly.
Don’t Cry If The Crazy Happens and KC Doesn’t Win
Betting $170 to win $100 on the Chiefs to win its eighth straight division title is as straightforward as an NFL prediction as snow on a January in Buffalo. Why won’t KC win? It would have to be a variety of reasons and not just one. The biggest suspect is health.
An injury to star QB Patrick Mahomes could dethrone this team. The Chiefs still dominated the division in 2019 when Mahomes missed a pair of games. But the other three teams were hapless at the time. All have improved significantly since then. The gap is still wide, but losing Mahomes will narrow it.
If it’s not Mahomes that gets hurt, it could be several others on the team. The Chiefs lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman as two of its best receivers. Orlando Brown Jr. also departs from the offensive line, and Chris Jones, the team’s best defender, is holding out for a contract.
It’s not all roses in the land of the champions. But through all of this, the Chiefs should still find a way to emerge atop the NFL division standings simply because of how unreliable the other three denizens are.
The Chargers: The Worst Great Team in the NFL Since Forever
The Chiefs could be “mid” by their standards and still end up on top. That’s because the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders are all untrustworthy. By all means, bet any of them to win the division at +300, +550, and +1400 per the AFC West betting odds, respectively. None of these are long enough to warrant betting, especially the Chargers.
The Chargers are favored to finish second to the Chiefs at +175. This team did finish 10-7 last year and has Justin Herbert at quarterback, who many are already blessing as the next great quarterback. But no matter how awesome he is, he’ll be hamstrung by a franchise with a compulsion to disappoint.
Almost every season, this team either: 1) Gets bit by the injury bug, 2) Finds ways to lose plenty of winnable games, and/or 3) Loses big games via some fluky play on their end or their opponent’s.
Just watch how the Chargers’ season ended last year. This team was up 27-0 in a playoff game. But they remembered who they were and lost.
Broncos and Raiders: No Good, Just Bad and Ugly
Denver and Las Vegas got some shiny new toys. But nobody is fooled. The AFC West betting odds have these teams finishing out of the playoffs.
The Broncos traded for famed head coach Sean Payton. The franchise hopes he can work his magic. Good luck! Russell Wilson looks washed up, and the offensive line is janky. The defense, which was a top-three unit to start, mailed it in en route to a 5-12 finish.
On top of that, Payton is already talking smack about his predecessor. That’s bad karma to add to an already busted team, so we would not be shocked if Denver is still just as bad as last year.
And, of course, the Raiders can’t entirely be counted out. This team did sign Jimmy Garoppolo and is doubly motivated because the Super Bowl is in Las Vegas.
We’re kidding.
This team stinks, and 14-1 is not high enough even if aliens abducted Mahomes, Herbert and Payton. Look for every chance to fade this team on the NFL schedule.
For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
