Consider that the AFC West has also been known for dynasties dating back to the 1960s. To illustrate, the Oakland Raiders won it every season but one from 1967 through 1976. Late on, the Chargers won the AFC West five out of six seasons from 2004 through 2009. The Denver Broncos owned it from 2011 through 2015. Now, the Kansas City Chiefs’ continue to dominate. The Chiefs have won the division every year since 2016. Thus, in the minds of NFL odds gamblers, the Chiefs remain the team to beat in the AFC West.
AFC West Division Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | -110 |
| Denver Broncos | +300 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +300 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +1600 |
Specifically, a key factor in the Chiefs’ online betting popularity with fans and gamblers is the dynamic duo of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They have been together every step of the way during the Chiefs’ reign of AFC West supremacy. In turn, Reid and Mahomes will be rocking gold jackets in Canton, Ohio, someday. Furthermore, they have replaced coach Hank Stram and QB Len Dawson as the franchise’s GOATS. Yet another Kansas City GOAT, Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud, has been at least equaled by Harrison Butker.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the line is a Kansas City defense that ranks among the best in football. Kansas City’s defense is often overlooked. But sharps have come to appreciate and rely upon it. Especially inside the 20-yard line for live betting. Indeed, Kansas City, like its legendary Redwood Forest ancestors of the 1960s, slams the door shut when it matters most.
Overall, the Chiefs will be a difficult club to overcome. Especially if Mahomes stays healthy and his partner, record-setting tight end Travis Kelce, is on the field with him. Kelce was rendered helpless in the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. But vows to return with a vengeance.
If there is a team that NFL betting odds gamblers believe can threaten the Chiefs for AFC West supremacy, it is the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Jim Harbaugh arrived in January 2024. Following his accomplishment of leading the Michigan Wolverines to the national championship.
Previously, Harbaugh took over a losing San Francisco 49ers team and nearly hoisted the Lombardi trophy two years later. In LA, Harbaugh inherited a ready-made QB in Justin Herbert, who needed a true quarterback whisperer to maximize his talent. Now he has one. The Chargers made the playoffs in the tandem’s first season together.
The AFC West is a division with a rich history and tradition, traits that are sadly less common in the modern NFL. All four teams, the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Chargers, opened for business in 1960 as members of the American Football League West Division. They have remained there ever since.
Although there is a historic balance in the AFC West, in the short term, teams tend to go on long runs as division champions. The San Diego Chargers won four straight AFC West titles from 2006 to 2009, the Denver Broncos won five straight division crowns from 2011 to 2015, and the Kansas City Chiefs have now won nine consecutive division titles. Hence, that could mean the Las Vegas Raiders are primed to go on a run soon, as they haven’t won the AFC West in over two decades at this point.