The Super Bowl just finished. Sam Darnold is still celebrating his surprising (albeit deserved) ring. However, bookies are already releasing odds on possible outcomes for the 2026 NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs fans are likely among those already looking forward to the return of fall. Their team had a terrible season, and it was the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era that they missed the NFL playoffs.
Chiefs Nation will be hopeful that the team only had a slight dip in form in 2025 and that they will be able to reinstate their dominance in an AFC West that is getting more competitive.
However, it seems like the bookmakers don't agree with the idea, as the favorites to win the AFC West aren't wearing Kansas City red.
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Chargers Favored Over Chiefs as AFC West Winners
ESPN Bet shared an update on the DraftKings odds showing how the AFC West landscape looks like for the Chiefs ahead of the 2026 campaign.
If their odds were anything to go by, it seems like Chiefs fans will be in for another long season. The Los Angeles Chargers were given the best odds to win the AFC West at +170, followed by the Chiefs (+175), Denver Broncos (+215) and the Las Vegas Raiders (+2500).
It's understandable why the bookies see the Chargers as the odds-on favorites to win the division title. Justin Herbert just had a terrific season to the point that he convinced a voter to give him a first-place vote in the MVP voting process.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes had a disappointing year when measured against his already lofty standards. The 30-year-old finished the 2025 campaign with 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Chiefs will still have a chance to win as long as they have Andy Reid leading from the sidelines. However, they need to step it up quickly, as the rest of their division is getting ready to take them down again.