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After seven straight AFC West division titles for the Kansas City Chiefs, can anyone else finally dethrone the defending Super Bowl champs? Let's get down to business, as our NFL odds series will include a 2023-2024 AFC West Champion prediction and pick.
Ever since QB Patrick Mahomes first graced an NFL field as a starter back in 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the AFC West in a way that has never before seen. Indeed, the Denver Broncos had a nice run as division champs from 2012-2015 beforehand and even the once-great San Diego Chargers found substantial success from 2006-2009, but the Chiefs have officially been no match for the rest of the division for nearly a decade. Once again, the Chiefs enter 2023 as the odds-on favorites to win their eighth consecutive AFC West crown, but will the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders have the final say in 2023?
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: 2o23-2024 AFC West Champion Odds
Kansas City Chiefs: -130
Los Angeles Chargers: +210
Denver Broncos: +460
Las Vegas Raiders: +1500
Why The Chiefs Will Win the AFC West
Let's start things off with the obvious: Kansas City enters the 2023 season as the defending Super Bowl champs after a thrilling 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and also possesses possibly the greatest head coach-quarterback duo since the New England Patriots dynasty with Brady and Belichick. Now with a chance to become a dynasty themselves with a third championship ring this season, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are as feared and efficient as it gets.
On paper, the Chiefs did happen to see some departures in the form of wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, DE Frank Clark, LT Orlando Brown Jr., and most importantly have been in the midst of a dramatic offseason with holdout defensive All-Pro Frank Clark. Believe it or not, many would be surprised that this KC squad has more holes on this roster than one would think. Still, the Chiefs have built a winning culture for a reason and as long as Kansas City has the dynamic duo of Mahomes-Kelce, then they will be Super Bowl contenders.
Sneakily, the Chiefs have also quietly built one of the league's top interior blocking trios and should actually run the ball rather well this fall. Ever since KC got steamrolled by Tampa Bay up front in Super Bowl 55, Kansas City's offensive line has recovered nicely and will be a huge reason why they repeat as division champs in 2023.
Why The Chargers Will Win the AFC West
Year after year, the Chargers seem to be stacked roster-wise on both sides of the ball. However, the Chargers seem to falter in the most excruciating way possible. Don't believe me? Outside of LA's disheartening playoff choking to the Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card game last winter, the Chargers have gone down in devastating fashion in games like additional playoff losses to the Bengals in 1981 in sub-freezing temps, the Patriots in 2006, and even to the Jets in 2009. Simply put, there have been plenty of tough pills to swallow throughout the history of this franchise, and Chargers fans are keeping their fingers crossed that the past won't come back to haunt them this fall.
As previously mentioned, this is a talented roster on both offense and defense. Not to mention, but LA has their man under center in Justin Herbert. In 2022, Herbert took a slight step back stats-wise compared to his 2021 campaign, but he still managed to throw for more than 4,700 yards and is arguably one of the more talented field generals that the NFL has to offer. There is no excuse for the Chargers on paper to not be knocking on the door of a deep playoff run with eleven returning starters on offense and nine returning starters on defense,
Los Angeles truly can go toe-to-toe with Kansas City from a pure talent perspective, but the biggest disadvantage that they have is a head coach in Brandon Staley who has yet to prove that he can coach at the NFL level. If the Chargers end up falling short again, then it will most likely be Staley to blame.
Why the Broncos Will Win the AFC West
With some of the highest expectations out of any NFL squad entering the 2022 season, the Broncos' first year of the Russell Wilson era failed about as miserably as you could possibly imagine. After a porous 5-12 record, head coach Nathaniel Hackett was hacked in an embarrassing fashion. Without that much draft capital at their disposal in the past couple of years, the Broncos enter 2023 lacking some much-needed depth. However, in comes Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton to try and resurrect a respected NFL franchise that has not reached the postseason since the 2015 season.
Alright, let's not beat around the bush. If the Broncos are going to win the AFC West for the first time in almost a decade, vintage Russell Wilson will need to return in the Mile High City. For as much of a haul as the Broncos gave up draft picks-wise to acquire the soon-to-be 35-year-old dual-threat quarterback, the expectation is simple: it's Super Bowl-or-bust in Denver.
With a current six-game losing streak to the Raiders and a whopping 15-game winless skid to the Chiefs, the Broncos can no longer afford to mess around. In order for Denver to capture a division title with the odds currently sitting at +600, the Broncos must have a formidable running game and protect Wilson who was sacked 55 times. Without a doubt, Wilson needs to stay healthy, and the Broncos spent a whopping $140-million dollars to bolster their offensive line to ensure that. With a defense that could end up being a top-five unit in the league, it is hard to imagine Denver isn't vastly improved with an enhanced offense under Sean Payton.
Why the Raiders Will Win the AFC West
Coming last according to the oddsmakers at +1700 to win the AFC West, the Derek Carr era in Vegas has officially come to a halt. Instead, the Raiders decided to reunite Josh McDaniels with longtime Patriots backup Jimmy Garrapolo and will once again possess All-Pro weapons in RB Josh Jacobs and WR Devante Adams. The Raiders were as disappointing as they come in 2022 with a 6-11 record, but can they bounce back in a big way this season?
With the departure of their longtime franchise QB, the Raiders also saw TE Darren Waller pack his bags to East Rutherford to be a part of the G-Men. Nevertheless, the Raiders did add names like wideout Jakobi Meyers and obviously Jimmy G, but will they have enough firepower offensively to contend with the rest of the AFC West?
This remains to be seen, and the Raiders will be relying heavily on Josh Jacobs and Devante Adams to carry the load offensively. To make matters worse, the NFL's leading rusher from a year ago in Jacobs missed all of camp due to a contract dispute. In addition, this is a returning defense that ranked 26th in points allowed, which may eliminate a whole lotta the hope that Raiders fans have entering 2023. The Raiders winning the division is a long shot, and you might be wasting your time betting on them at +1700 odds.
Final 2023-2024 AFC West Champion Prediction & Pick
Could this be the year where the Chiefs' reign of terror is over? Most likely not. The value may not be great, but your best bet is to take KC to win an eighth-consecutive AFC West division title.
Final 2023-2024 AFC West Champion Prediction & Pick: Kansas City Chiefs -180
