While the AFC West has long been dominated by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, some worthy contenders are sticking around to make things interesting.
The Chiefs’ offense hasn’t been clicking the way many pre-season experts projected it to. And coming off of a Week 13 loss at Lambeau Field, the Chiefs only hold a narrow lead over their divisional rivals.
The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders are still mathematically alive in the AFC West division race as of this writing. But does that mean any of them will dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC West?
Let’s take a look at the latest AFC West odds, courtesy of the best NFL betting sites, and make our AFC West predictions.
AFC West Odds
The following AFC West betting odds are courtesy of BetUS:
| TEAM | PRESEASON ODDS | DECEMBER ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | -170 | -5000 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +300 | +2500 |
| Denver Broncos | +2500 | +2500 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +550 | +10000 |
The Chiefs are the heavy odds-on favorites to win the AFC West. According to the BetUS odds, the Chiefs have an implied probability to win the division of 98.04 percent.
The remaining teams are in the hunt, just a few games back. However, time is quickly running out. Furthermore, the rest of the division is facing significant injuries on their rosters.
Let’s dig into the AFC West odds for each of the division’s teams and see if there’s any value on the board at BetUS.
Kansas City Chiefs (-5000)
For good reason, this Chiefs squad is in complete control to win the AFC West. Despite some tricky upcoming games, it would be quite the shock to see them fumble another divisional title.
This season, the Chiefs have been getting it done in different ways compared to years past. Their defense has been absolutely elite, while their offense has been average. Regardless of how they’re doing it, the Chiefs and coach Andy Reid continue to find ways to win games.
With a two-game lead on their rivals, and a chance to earn the top overall seed in the AFC, look for Kansas City to be a motivated and hungry group in their route to securing a first-round bye.
Los Angeles Chargers (+2500)
While the season is by no means over for the 6-6 Los Angeles Chargers, it is fair to suggest that things haven’t played out the way this team hoped for.
Massive injuries on both sides of the ball have hindered their expected progress. Justin Herbert hasn’t taken the next step as was intended, and his array of talented receivers have been inconsistent or injured.
They enter Week 14 a full two wins behind the Chiefs, and tied with the Broncos. With two head-to-head games against Denver, and a matchup against Kansas City all still to come, there’s a shot for this group to emerge.
There’s a path to an unlikely divisional title, but given the difficulty of their remaining games, it’s tough to envision a scenario where the Chargers do anything more than squeak into a playoff spot.
Denver Broncos (+2500)
Though the off-season began with all kinds of optimism on both sides of the football, it quickly waned with four consecutive losses out of the gate for the Broncos.
However, this team has recovered under veteran coach Sean Payton. Although they’re coming off a tough final-drive loss to the Houston Texans in Week 13, the Broncos are showing signs of figuring it out and playing good football.
Like Los Angeles, they remain a full two games back from the favored Chiefs. Denver has no remaining games left against Kansas City, which makes the task an even tougher one. Still, the Broncos play high-level defense, which translates well down the stretch. And, as Wilson gets more familiar with Payton’s play-calling and offensive schemes, this Denver squad seems to be improving by the week.
While the divisional crown seems highly unlikely, don’t count out this pesky squad of making things quite interesting in a potential playoff push.
Las Vegas Raiders (+10000)
The Raiders are in last place of the AFC West, but still very much in the hunt. Though they’ve lost Jimmy Garoppolo to injury, their offense has been getting by with some impressive performances from veteran wideout Davante Adams.
The Raiders’ defense has been particularly stingy in recent weeks as well. With three of their remaining five games taking place at home, the Raiders have the talent to make a push for a playoff spot. Though they do play the Chiefs once more in head-to-head action, the divisional crown at this point is merely a pipe dream.
AFC West Predictions
The Chiefs entered this season winners of seven straight divisional titles, and it’s all but certain that they will extend that streak to eight in early January.
While they do still have some tricky games remaining on their schedule, they’ve got one of the best quarterbacks in football. This is a veteran-laden group is motivated for the number one overall seed and will play some of their best football down the final stretch.
With games remaining against the Raiders and Chargers, expect Kansas City to further pounce on their divisional rivals.
In the preseason, there were some impressive-looking contenders to potentially end the Chiefs’ reign. Unfortunately for the rest of the AFC West, it didn’t materialize.
Kansas City remains the class of the AFC West division. It’s a mere formality that they secure the divisional crown. However, at a chalky -5000 odds, minimal value exists on the Chiefs to win the AFC West at the best football betting sites.
