The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are the favored teams per Bookmaker to win the AFC West. See the latest odds here.
The latest betting odds are out from sportsbooks and, specifically, Bookmaker, and the Oakland Raiders are the favorites to win the AFC West in 2017. The complete odds feature an order of Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders are heavily favored by many NFL analysts as well, so it’s not surprising to see Las Vegas lining up alongside such predictions. The Raiders have a potent offense with Derek Carr at the helm and the signing of tight end Jared Cook and the unretirement of running back Marshawn Lynch have created a palpable excitement in the air in Oakland.
Here’s a complete look at the odds to win the AFC West in 2017 from Bookmaker:
"Denver Broncos +337Kansas City Chiefs +212Los Angeles Chargers +461Oakland Raiders +151"
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Fortunately the hype has to match the product on the field, and when it comes to actual proof the Raiders can win, there’s very little of it. Despite an impressive won-loss record last year, the Raiders also allowed plenty of points against a relatively weak schedule that should actually force them to return to earth a bit this season. Their secondary remains in chaos due to inexperience and injury and aside from a few impact players, there are significant holes. The best teams will be able to create mismatches that will force the Raiders to adjust and it’s on Jack Del Rio to make sure the hype is not overblown. Good luck with that.
As for the Chiefs, they swept the division last year and there’s no reason to expect them to not repeat their divisional success in 2017. They won the AFC West last year and have bolstered several positions since then. Depth and impact at running back and wide receiver are the team’s biggest questions, but if young players can step up, the Chiefs might be the best all-around team in the AFC.
As for the Broncos, they will only go as far as Trevor Siemian can take them, which is good news for their rivals. Despite the departure of T.J. Ward, they remain a Super Bowl caliber defense with a pair of corners that are the best in the league along with the presence of Von Miller. However, they’re thin along the lines and that will come back to hurt them over the course of such a long season.
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As for the Chargers, the promise is always there, but Rivers is another year older and the Chargers already look cursed due to injuries to their two top draft picks: wideout Mike Williams and guard Forrest Lamp. Williams could return midway through the season after sitting out due to a back injury, but Lamp is out for the entire season. A full season from Joey Bosa will make a huge difference for the defense, which could improve quite a bit, but will it be enough to propel them out of last place? It’s hard to say.