AFC 2021 Futures Betting: AFC West Division
June 05, 2021
/
0
Even with the fresh young faces of Lock and Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are still the face of the AFC West Division. To win the division, teams go through them. However, we saw this team get embarrassed in the last Super Bowl and now the question is, do they bounce back or regress in this next NFL season?
Kansas City Chiefs: 14-2
Las Vegas Raiders: 8-8
Los Angeles Chargers: 7-9
Denver Broncos: 5-11
The following lines for these division futures bets will be pulled from William Hill unless otherwise noted.Chiefs Odds to Win the AFC West Division: -325
Patrick Mahomes is no doubt the best quarterback in the game right now. Kansas City’s offense is electrifying and – most weeks – unstoppable. Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and the young running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire can break a game wide open at any time. It’s no wonder why the odds are set this high to win the division. Sure, this offense is a powerhouse, but the coaching is the foundation that holds it upright. Andy Reid is a genius and also one of the reasons why these odds are heavy. There are not too many coaches of his caliber and very few that can outcoach him week-to-week. The Chiefs’ defense was respectable in its own right. Finishing fifth in interceptions last year, they generated more time for Mahomes and this offense – not a good thing for their opponents.Is There Any Value?
At this price, a bettor would need to wager $335 to see a $100 profit. That’s a steep price. While the Chiefs are the favorite, there’s not much value in this line. The other teams in this division have a few wild cards and could absolutely challenge this team next year. Save your money and bet against them next season.Raiders Odds to Win the AFC West Division: +1800
The Raiders finished exactly at .500 last season. That’s not bad considering the last two putrid years under Coach Gruden. This offense definitely has raw talent and a bright future. They have a top-three tight end in Darren Waller, a matchup nightmare for defenses. Their workhorse running back Josh Jacobs had a breakout year, and we all saw last season how Gruden had no qualms about running him out there on every down. The biggest question mark on this team is the quarterback position. Carr is a good player – but not good enough to steal this division away from Kansas City. This team should be a contender down the road but not this season – especially not with that defense.Is There Any Value?
The Raiders are the biggest underdogs to win the AFC West next season. But with these odds, I don’t mind throwing a unit or two on them to win it. Will it happen? Probably not. But this team is interesting. They do show up against tougher opponents. Last year they won against the Saints and the Chiefs, showing they can slug it out with the best of the best. If they can show up every week, they could make things interesting.
Chargers Odds to Win the AFC West Division: +600
What a rookie year for Justin Herbert. The 22-year-old balled out his first year in the pros and won the Rookie of the Year Award because of it. The Chargers may have lost old man Rivers, but after last year's showing – who cares. This is an all-around solid team. Did Keenan Allen catch every pass Herbert threw to him? It sure seemed like he did. The connection these two had last season was beautiful to watch. With a healthy Austin Ekeler – this team could be even more explosive. The Chargers’ defense finished in the bottom half of the league, but they addressed the DT position with Rashawn Slater in the 2020 Draft. If he can help this defensive unit get right – they have a chance to contend for the division title.Is There Any Value?
This is one of my favorite teams to take a shot to win the division next season. To say Herbert impressed last year would be an understatement. What’s holding him back from having the same type of year or even a better year? Not much. If his weapons stay healthy and this defense can improve – this could be the team to challenge Kansas City and win the AFC West.Broncos Odds to Win the AFC West Division: +600
Denver had an interesting year last year. Sure, we all did. But I can’t stop thinking about that week where they had to throw a practice squad wide receiver out there to play quarterback. It’s hard to fault him for that performance either – the dude was thrown to the sharks. Let’s just cut straight to the chase, these odds reflect the rumors of Aaron Rodgers possibly heading to Denver. This offense is loaded with weapons. They have an amazing wide receiver core in Sutton, Jeudy, and Tim Patrick. Noah Fant is a promising tight end. Denver’s running game should improve with Melvin Gordon and newly drafted Javonte Williams. The more I think about it, this team isn’t just solid – it’s stacked! The Broncos’ defense isn’t as good as it was during the Manning years, but it’s more than formidable. Speaking of Peyton Manning, this team has struck out ever since he retired. Drew Lock is a fine quarterback, but he doesn’t provide the spark this team needs to contend for the division. They recently added Teddy Bridgewater, so maybe this ignites a flame.Is There Any Value?
Listen, I’m a Broncos fan, and I’m most definitely betting some futures. The question is, should non-Broncos fans? YES. They could land Aaron Rodgers for crying out loud! This team is loaded with talent and if they actually do get Rodgers, they could win a Super Bowl, not just the division. Throw some money down and if they don’t land Rodgers, let’s hope Teddy Bridgewater can be the lock that Drew never was. This wraps up the AFC West. Stay tuned for more NFL divisional futures. For other sports analyses and picks, follow us on Twitter and The Odds Factory.
