The clear favorites in the NFL betting markets for the AFC West are once again the Kansas City Chiefs. They have been the class of this division for a while now, with the question being whether or not the Chiefs will face any sort of competition from their rivals in the future. Here, we look at the AFC West futures odds and determine whether the Chiefs can be beaten in 2024.
AFC West Futures Betting Odds
| Team | AFC West Odds |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -1400 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1200 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +2200 |
| Denver Broncos | +2500 |
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC West last season, finishing in third in the AFC as a whole. They didn’t stop there, though, as they won the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers in dramatic fashion. The Chiefs are among the favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl as well, as they are not expected to slow down anytime soon with the combination of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes leading them. Early this season, they have separated themselves from the pack in the futures markets in this division as they are already at the top of the AFC West standings by a wide margin after beating the Chargers in Los Angeles in Week 4.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers finished in last place in the AFC West last year. They got off to a slow start, leading to the decision to shut an injured Justin Herbert down for the season. But Herbert is back for this season, along with a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh had a great run as a professional head coach with the 49ers not too long ago, and if he can do the same now that he is back from the college ranks, the Chargers could be a real threat in this division. So far, the Chargers are off to a mediocre start, with an injury to Justin Herbert hindering their offense early on.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders finished their 2023 season with a record of 8-9. While that was not the result they were looking for going into the season, it is not as bad as it could have been. Vegas had to make quarterback changes that led to Aidan O’Connell starting for the bulk of their season, while they fired head coach Josh McDaniels mid-season. This year, the Raiders hired Antonio Pierce as their full-time head coach, and hope that Pierce and quarterback Gardner Minshew can lead them to a better 2024 campaign. So far, the Raiders are already multiple games back of the Chiefs, which is not a recipe for success when trying to win this division.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos also finished 8-9 and missed out on the postseason last year. Denver got off to a slow start and could not do quite enough to recover from it. Perhaps more discouraging was the rift that was constructed between the Broncos organization and quarterback Russell Wilson. That rift was centered around playing time and the Broncos’ intention to save money by benching Wilson late in the season. Now, Wilson is gone and Bo Nix is starting, meaning low expectations for this team with a rookie at quarterback. Denver is already well behind Kansas City in the standings as they look to get Nix used to life in the NFL, but they haven’t been a complete disaster either thanks to some solid defense.
2024 AFC West Futures Prediction
Until someone gives us a reason not to, we will continue backing the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West. The defending champions have the fewest weaknesses of any team in this foursome, with their defense likely to be dominant again in 2024. As long as Mahomes remains healthy, the Chiefs will be the top choice to win this division.
