Kansas City Chiefs Favored Over LA Chargers In AFC West, Raiders, Broncos Given No Chance In 2019

The AFC West is considered to be a two-team race in the 2019 NFL season. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers are expected to compete for the division title with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders fighting to stay out of last place.

Kansas City is the odds-on favorite to finish in first place across online sportsbooks, according to OddsShark. Despite going 12-4 a year ago, Los Angeles doesn’t even have 3/2 division odds. Neither Denver nor Oakland has better than 10/1 odds to win the AFC West.

At New Jersey’s FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chiefs have -155 odds to repeat as the AFC West champions. The Chargers are second with +170 odds. The Broncos and Raiders are a distant third and fourth with +1300 and +1600 odds, respectively.

Only the New England Patriots have better Super Bowl odds than Kansas City, who lost to Tom Brady and Co. in overtime of the 2019 AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have won three straight division titles. They are perennial winners under head coach Andy Reid, who has led the team to six straight winning seasons and five playoff appearances during his tenure.

Patrick Mahomes is the reigning NFL MVP. After throwing for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first year as a starting quarterback, Mahomes might be the best player in football. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce give him two of the league’s best playmakers.

The Chargers have one of the NFL’s most talented rosters. L.A. had seven players on last year’s Pro Bowl roster and all of them remain under contract with the Chargers. Philip Rivers is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.

The preseason wasn’t exactly an encouraging one for the Chargers. Melvin Gordon held out of training camp and appears likely to miss regular-season games as he seeks a new contract. All-Pro safety Derwin James will miss most of the season with a foot injury.

The Broncos have a new head coach and starting quarterback. Joe Flacco is looking to resurrect his career in Denver, having failed to throw more than 20 touchdown passes or post a passer rating north of 84.2 in four straight seasons.

Denver failed to have a top-five defense last year for the first time since 2013. The Broncos won 11 total games in 2017 and 2018.

It will come as little surprise if the Raiders are among the NFL’s worst teams in 2019. Oakland has just one playoff appearance since they reached the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.