Bettors are splurging on the Chiefs' division odds, but don't think about fading the public on this one

If you’re a fan of resurfacing freezing cold takes, go look up some of the things people were saying about the AFC West just two years ago — myself included.

About how tough the division was shaping up to be. How the Kansas City Chiefs’ reign atop the division could be coming to an end. About how the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers were all capable of toppling the regime.

What a bunch of imbeciles we were.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Chiefs' streak of division titles is up to eight, they're back-to-back Super Bowl champions, maybe as good as they’ve ever been, and their big bad division rivals have all been in steady decline.

If you arrived here today seeking hope that this is the year one of the Broncos, Chargers or Raiders will finally turn it on and push KC at the top, you came to the wrong place. The Chiefs are -250 favorites at BetMGM to win the West, and as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy, they’ll deliver.

Most people arrived at this conclusion on their own. Even at their short odds, the Chiefs are the NFL's most bet team by handle to win their division at BetMGM. I guess people are willing to stake the money when the margin between the favorite and whoever is No. 2 is so wide.

The Chiefs aren’t flawless, though. Yes, they upgraded the offense by adding Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in free agency and drafting Xavier Worthy, but they’ll be adjusting to the loss of L’Jarius Sneed on defense. And I have questions about their pass rush too.

However, those would be problems for outside the division when they play fellow contenders. None of KC’s division foes have the offensive firepower to take advantage of those potential holes.

The Chargers (+350) have the best quarterback of the non-Mahomes variety in the division but no reliable receivers for Justin Herbert to throw the ball to. The Raiders (+900) have the best receiver but no reliable quarterback to get Davante Adams the ball. And the Broncos (+1800) don’t have any elite talent.

Even with my small questions about KC’s defense, they still have the best unit in the division on that side of the ball too.

So why would anyone bet on another team to win the AFC West? You wouldn’t. This isn’t the type of division to bet on. The only question here is whether the Chiefs are winning another Super Bowl at +550.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Bettors are splurging on the Chiefs' division odds, but don't think about fading the public on this one