The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s greatest teams since the mid-2010s.
Behind their greatness is arguably the game’s best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, an other-worldly tight end in Travis Kelce, and the eventual (presumably) Hall of Fame head coach that is Andy Ried. As a result — one Super Bowl win (two appearances) and six straight AFC West titles since 2016.
But here they are, being doubted by the public.
Despite owning the division and entering the 2022 season with the shortest odds, it seems relatively no one is betting on the Kansas City Chiefs.
No, seriously. Don’t believe me? Here’s this:
.@Chiefs are +155 favorites to win AFC West.
But KC has the fewest tickets to win the division at @BetMGM.
Broncos, Chargers and Raiders all have at least 2X the bets.
— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) August 9, 2022
Not only are Mahomes and the guys the least bet on team to win the AFC West, but they’re being doubled-up in bets.
For good reasons, though, right? Maybe it’s because KC offers the lowest return at +155, but the rest of the division kind of crept up on Andy Reid’s and are all likely to take a step forward this season.
The Raiders made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and then proceeded to steal superstar wide receiver Davante Adams from Green Bay. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson is getting ready to begin his Denver Broncos era. And it’s widely expected that Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, who were a field goal away from the playoffs last year, will stake their claim as one of the AFC’s top teams in 2022.
Oh, and while the three teams not named the Chiefs should be improved, Kansas City took hits on both sides of the ball this offseason.
Tyrann Mathieu left for the New Orleans Saints, dealing the Chiefs a blow to the secondary. And there’s no replacing Tyreek Hill, who jetted off to the Miami Dolphins and cashed in on a big contract along the way.
So for the first time in a while, on paper, the Chiefs aren’t above and beyond their division foes. Will their six-year AFC West streak snap, as a result?
Bettors think so.
