The AFC West has also been known for dynasties dating back to the 1960s. Starting when the Oakland Raiders won it every season but one from 1967 through 1976. More recently, the Chargers won the AFC West five out of six seasons from 2004 through 2009. The Denver Broncos owned it from 2011 through 2015. And then the Kansas City Chiefs power flexed. To show, Kansas City 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 | -230 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +350 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +900 |
| Denver Broncos | +2000 |
2024 AFC West Division Overview
The AFC West is a division with rich sportsbook 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. Subsequently, they have remained there ever since.
Another factor in the Chiefs’ popularity with fans and gamblers is the dynamic combination of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In turn, Reid and Mahomes have been together every step of the way during the Chiefs’ reign of AFC West supremacy. Reid and Mahomes will be rocking gold jackets in Canton someday. Additionally, they have replaced coach Hank Stram and QB Len Dawson as the franchise GOATS. Yet another GOAT, Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud, has been equaled by Harrison Butker. Butker ranks with Adam Vinatieri as the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history.
Lost in all of the noise is a Kansas City defense that ranked second only to the Baltimore Ravens for points allowed. 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.
If there is a team that gamblers believe can threaten the Chiefs for AFC West supremacy, it is the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Jim Harbaugh arrived in January after 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. Harbaugh inherits a ready-made QB in Justin Herbert, who has needed a true quarterback whisperer to maximize his talent. Now he has one.
Although there is long-term balance in the AFC West, in the short term, teams 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 eight consecutive division titles. Thus, that should eventually mean the Las Vegas Raiders are primed to go on a run soon. They haven’t won the AFC West in over two decades at this point.
The AFC West has been the most balanced division in the NFL since its inception. There is almost a perfect equilibrium between all four teams, as the Kansas City Chiefs division title in 2023 gave them a one-win NFL betting odds advantage.