The clear favorites in the NFL betting markets for the AFC West are once again the Kansas City Chiefs. But the defending Super Bowl champions will face some stern opposition from another team with an explosive offense and a quarterback with a high ceiling. Here, we look at this year’s AFC West futures odds and make our prediction for who is going to finish in first place in this division.
AFC West Futures Betting Odds
Kansas City Chiefs
Everyone will be chasing the Kansas City Chiefs this NFL season, as they are defending the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LVII a season ago. The Chiefs will be expected to contend for the championship again this season, as their offense is likely to be among the best in football once again. But there are no sure things in the NFL, and the Chiefs still need to go out and earn a division title and anything else they get this year.
Kansas City has rebounded nicely from dropping their season opener to the Detroit Lions at home. They beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears in Weeks 2 and 3, and they appear to be back on track offensively, which is bad news for the rest of the division.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers had a convincing lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round last season. But they blew that lead and their chance to advance to the Divisional playoff round. Now the question is going to be how the Chargers bounce back from that kind of a crushing defeat as the 2023 season gets going.
After losing their first two games of the season, the Chargers managed to get a win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. We will see if that propels the Chargers to bigger and better things, but at least the Bolts are no longer winless in any case.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were a massive disappointment in the 2022 NFL season. They traded for Russell Wilson last offseason, but finished in last place in the AFC West at 5-12. This season, the Broncos are once again off to a disappointing start, one that could result in major changes for Denver if things do not get better in a hurry.
The change to Sean Payton has not brought immediate dividends for the Broncos, who remain the lone winless team in this division. They gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, the highest point total for a team since 1966. If the Broncos don’t fix things soon, they could look to make sweeping changes.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders started their season with a win on the road against the Denver Broncos. But they have lost two games in a row since then, including their home opener in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While they have not started out as poorly as the Broncos, the Raiders still have a long way to go if they want to compete with the Chiefs.
2023 AFC West Futures Prediction
Right now, there is no other bet to be made on the AFC West than to back the Kansas City Chiefs to win the division. Barring an injury to Patrick Mahomes or a prolonged absence for Travis Kelce, the Chiefs have the best roster in this division by a wide margin. Expect Andy Reid’s team to repeat as division champions, as they could finish off this year as Super Bowl champions once again as well.
