Chiefs Open as Heavy -450 Favorites to Win AFC West – Can Anyone Take it From Them?
- Opening odds have been released to win the NFL’s AFC West Division in 2020
- The Kansas City Chiefs are the leading -450 favorites
- See the odds for all AFC West teams and our prediction to win the division below
The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the AFC West throughout the latter stages of the 2010s.
The oddsmakers expect the defending Super Bowl champions to remain atop the division in 2020. In fact, the Chiefs AFC West odds have opened at -450 for them to win a fifth straight AFC West title.
Odds to Win 2020 AFC West Championship
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chiefs | -450 |
| Chargers | +800 |
| Broncos | +1000 |
| Raiders | +1000 |
Odds taken Mar. 3
The Chiefs, of course, are coming off their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. They rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 on February 2 in Miami to finished off a 15-4 season.
Coach Andy Reid was so happy to see the franchise end its half-century championship drought, that he promised the fans that his team will repeat as Super Bowl champs.
No Letup in Sight
The Chiefs have every reason to believe they will be a powerhouse again in 2020.
Nearly every important player will still be in the fold for the Chiefs. That includes Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the core of a rebuilt defense that played very well late in the season.
Also, the entire coaching staff will return, including highly regarded offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Surprisingly, Bieniemy did not land an NFL head coaching gig. He also turned down an offer to return to Colorado University, his alma mater, as head coach.
Chiefs OC Eric Bienemy had plenty to say after his offense rallied to win the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/fAWJj8Jluv
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) February 4, 2020
The biggest question mark is the status of defensive tackle Chris Jones, whose rookie contract has expired. However, the Chiefs want to sign Jones to a long-term deal and have the option of placing the franchise tag on him, which would keep him under contract through next season.
Sizing up the Competition
The Chiefs rolled to the AFC West title last year as they were the only team in the division with a winning record. Kansas City finished 12-4, well ahead of the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders – both 7-9 – and the 5-11 Los Angeles Chargers. Last year KC opened as -245 odds to win the division.
A case can be made that all three of the Chiefs’ divisional foes will be improved next season.
Rookie Drew Lock gave the Broncos a jolt when he was inserted as the starting quarterback late in the season. Denver won four of its last five games.
https://twitter.com/MHHustlers/status/1232862115095932928
The Raiders’ move to Las Vegas will finally be complete and that removes the uncertainly hanging over the franchise. They also showed a three-win improvement during Jon Gruden’s second season as coach, bolstered by a strong rookie class.
The Chargers fell apart in 2019 after going 12-4 the previous season and upsetting the Ravens in Baltimore in the opening round of the playoffs. If Los Angeles can find a good replacement for quarterback Philip Rivers as it moves into new SoFi Stadium, it could present a challenge to the Chiefs.
Class of the Field
Yet it is hard to imagine any of those teams knocking the Chiefs off their AFC West perch. A five-game deficit is a lot to make up in one year.
The Chiefs were fifth in the NFL in scoring offense last season, averaging 28.2 points a game.
Just in case you forgot how explosive that offense is, remember the Super Bowl.
Kansas City should be able to duplicate that in 2020 with Mahomes back at the controls and throwing passes to wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Furthermore, running back Damien Williams had a breakout season in 2019.
The additions of defensive end Frank Clark and safety Tyrann Mathieu helped the Chiefs allow just 19.3 points a game last year, the seventh-best mark in the league. With Jones likely to stay, Kansas City should again be strong on that side of the ball.
So, it is obvious why the Chiefs are huge favorites again in the AFC West and a good bet to “five-peat.”
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
