When it comes to the AFC West, it has been residing in Chiefs Kingdom for seven seasons straight now. Will the Kansas City Chiefs be able to do it for an eighth time in a row? Or will they finally be dethroned by one of their division foes?
1. Kansas City Chiefs (-180)
The answer in my opinion is no. There has been a reason that the Chiefs have been on top. After winning that first season in 2016 with Andy Reid and Alex Smith, Patrick Mahomes took over for Reid and the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes. That is why I think the Chiefs will see themselves win the division again.
Mahomes and Travis Kelce are such a good combo, and their game helps out everyone else on offense be able to play more free and easier. Defensively, this team is sneaky good and their defense always gets hidden under the shadow of Mahomes. The offense seems unstoppable most Sundays, the defense plays good to great almost every Sunday, and the Chiefs always seem in the game no matter the score. They look to go to back to back Super Bowls, and look to win an eighth division title in a row.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (+300)
The Chargers are looking to win the division for the first time since 2009. Injury after injury plagued the Chargers last season, and they look to keep everyone healthy going into this year. Kellen Moore moves over from the Dallas Cowboys to be the new offensive coordinator, and he will look to unlock Justin Herbert even more.
This team is truly a really deep and talented team. The defense and offense has stars all over, fitting for a LA team. Their best chance at winning the division is beating the Chiefs twice. If they even split the season series, I am afraid that Kansas City will find a way to get that tiebreaker. The Chargers might just be the most talented team in the division, but that does not win you games. They play the Chiefs Week 7 and Week 18, and those might just be the biggest Chargers games of the season.
3. Denver Broncos (+600)
Broncos country…. let’s try this again. After a season of few highs and so many lows, the Denver Broncos look to bounce back. They have brought in Sean Payton to help fix a team that played some of the worst football offensively last year. Defensively, the Broncos are a really solid group, one of the best in the NFL until they just could not take it anymore with the offense.
The biggest thing for the Broncos winning the division is Russell Wilson the offense needs to go this year. There was lightning in a bottle type flashes here and there, but overall Wilson and the offense just could not get it going ever. The Broncos signed Jarret Stidham from the Raiders, so if Russ has a bad season again, there might be some movement at QB. This team has the potential to maybe get their first AFC West title since 2015, but they will need an offense that can score with the modern NFL.
4. Las Vegas Raiders (+1700)
This team is looking to have potentially sad back to back seasons. They finished 6-11 last year, and the drama just seems to continue. Darren Waller has left to the New York Giants after a fallout with Josh McDaniels. Derek Carr is the new QB of the New Orleans Saints. As of August ninth Josh Jacobs has yet to come back to the team after a contract dispute. The Raiders did add Jimmy Garoppolo and still have Davante Adams, but is that enough?
Other than a select few names like Maxx Crosby, the defense looks to be in the bottom six to eight of the league. The Raiders have not won the AFC West since 2002, and I do not believe they will in the Josh McDaniels era. Rumors are this is his last year if another bad season happens to the Raiders. With all of that noise swirling around the Raiders, it is going to take a lot for them to topple their division foes and take the division.
Jaden Chandler-Parnell, or “JC” is a Sports and Sports Betting Insider for Stare Down Sports. You can Follow him on twitter @Jaden95Chandler
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