Not-so-shocking news: The Chiefs opened as the favorites to win the AFC West at the conclusion of the 2023 season. And now that the 2024 season is on the horizon, those odds have shifted even more in their favor.
Patrick Mahomes & Co. are first on the board to take the AFC West at -260, moving slightly from their opening line of -200.
Kansas City is coming off its second consecutive Super Bowl win and has won eight consecutive AFC West titles.
Can the Chiefs make it nine?
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History says yes.
Over the past eight seasons, the Chiefs have gone 41-7 in the division. And the odds also lean toward K.C. doing it again.
Let’s take a look at the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of August 27.
AFC WEST DIVISION WINNER ODDS
Chiefs: -260 (bet $10 to win $13.85 total)
Chargers: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Raiders: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Broncos: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
While they’re the odds-on favorites to take the division, the Chiefs won’t be without legit challengers.
In fact, last season, K.C. and Las Vegas both finished 4-2 in the division. However, the Chiefs won the tiebreaker via overall record.
Let’s take a look at the key points to know regarding each AFC West squad.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
2023-24 division finish: 1st (4-2)
Bottom line: The combination of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce has proven nearly unstoppable since Mahomes became the starter in 2018. Since then, K.C. has won three Super Bowls and made it to at least the AFC title game every season. Winning the division, at this point, has become all but expected.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
2023-24 division finish: 3rd (3-3)
Bottom line: L.A.’s odds moved to +350 from +300 ahead of the season. Now, it’s up to new head coach Jim Harbaugh to get the Chargers over the hump. Simply put, can Harbaugh work his magic on Herbert and once again turn around another program? He’s done it at Stanford, with the 49ers and in Michigan. The Chargers franchise figures to be his biggest challenge yet, as they haven’t won the division since 2009, back when they were in San Diego.
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LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
2023-24 division finish: 2nd (4-2)
Bottom line: The Raiders shortened to +1000 from +1300 to take the division. And now that Antonio Pierce is entering his first full season as head coach, he’s made a new decision at quarterback. Aidan O’Connell started 10 games last season, going 5-5 and finishing with an 83.9 passer rating. However, Gardner Minshew was recently named the team’s new starter. Can Minshew guide the Raiders to their first division title since 2002?
DENVER BRONCOS
2023-24 division finish: 4th (1-5)
Bottom line: Will rookie Bo Nix be the answer in Denver? We’ll know soon, as he was named the team’s starting quarterback for Week 1. It’s worth noting that the Broncos were the last team to win the AFC West before Kansas City’s eight-season run. Based on the odds, Denver is the longest shot, as its line moved to +2200 since opening at +950 in March.
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