AFC West odds remain ever in Chiefs' favor for 9th straight season
By Matt Conner
How many times in a row can the Kansas City Chiefs win their division and have it still feel like something meaningful? Well, so far the answer is eight and we're thinking that nine will feel just as good when it happens in 2024.
If that sounds premature, that means you've been ignoring the National Football League for the last decade, because the Chiefs are the class of the AFC West and have been for the last eight seasons. Ever since Andy Reid came to town to become head coach in 2013, the pecking order began to change and the Chiefs have never rescinded their post at the top ever since taking it for the first time in 2016.
If this seems like old news, it is. It's also still as awesome as ever.
These days, the L.A. Chargers are in the midst of a massive roster overhaul with Jim Harbaugh at the helm following the firing of Brandon Staley. The Las Vegas Raiders are shopping for a new quarterback with a new head coach as well after removing the "interim" label on Antonio Pierce's title. And the Denver Broncos are in cap hell with little draft assets to show for their future given the Russell Wilson debacle.
Neither of those teams should be holding out any playoff hopes in an overly crowded conference—let alone challenging the Chiefs for divisional supremacy.
Perhaps that's why the odds are ever in K.C.'s favor these days. The latest figures from our friends at BetSided have the Chiefs as -210 favorites over the Chargers at +310 and then the Raiders at +1000 and Broncos at +1300. The boost there for the Bolts comes from already having a franchise arm in Justin Herbert on the books and the respect drawn for the Harbaugh hire.
Of course, the Chiefs are thinking much bigger than a divisional win in 2024. They're chasing a three-peat. But hey, if they extend their record to 9 consecutive wins along the way, they'll take it.