Why oddsmakers believe the Chiefs will take a step back in 2022
For the first time since Patrick Mahomes took over as the team’s starting quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs will enter the regular season with significant question marks on offense. Betting against the Chiefs hasn’t been a lucrative strategy over the last four seasons, but one sportsbook is correctly implying that the path to a seventh […]
For the first time since Patrick Mahomes took over as the team’s starting quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs will enter the regular season with significant question marks on offense. Betting against the Chiefs hasn’t been a lucrative strategy over the last four seasons, but one sportsbook is correctly implying that the path to a seventh consecutive division title will not come easy in 2022.
BetMGM currently has set the Chiefs’ regular season win total at 10.5 with the over (-115) slightly juiced. The team’s Super Bowl odds stand at 9/1, ranking third behind the Buffalo Bills (+650) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+750).
In what has been one of the most fascinating NFL offseasons in recent memory, the AFC West walked away as the most improved division in the NFL hands down. The Broncos added QB Russell Wilson, the Raiders brought in WR Davante Adams, and the Chargers assembled what appears to be the most talented defense in the league on paper.
The Chiefs are the lone team in the division that hasn’t taken a clear step forward. The odds seem to agree with this notion. Kansas City is still the favorite in the AFC West (+150), but the Chargers (+250) and Broncos (+260) follow closely behind.
Kansas City’s biggest splash this offseason came in the form of a departure. The team traded star WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a litany of draft picks.
It’s no secret that Hill has been an integral part of what the Chiefs do on offense. While replacing Hill’s production with one player is impossible, Kansas City brought in two established receivers in hopes to fill the void Cheetah left behind.
The Chiefs inked JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to new contracts over the summer. Smith-Schuster likely opens the season as the team’s No. 1 receiver while Valdes-Scantling adds an element of speed which made him a vertical threat during his time in Green Bay.
Though Smith-Schuster’s production has taken a dip over the last three seasons, his 1,426-yard season in 2018 is enough to give Chiefs fans optimism. JuJu is coming off of a disappointing 2021 season with the Steelers after a shoulder injury ended his season just five games in.
Kansas City will be forced to hit the ground running with new additions at key positions in 2022. The first four games of the season feature three tough road matchups (ARI, IND, & TB) with the lone home game coming against the Chargers.
The Chiefs stumbled out of the gate in 2021, starting the season 3-4 before ripping off eight straight wins. However, with another year up against a first-place schedule, and in what many anticipate to be the best division in football, finding 11 wins for Kansas City is admittedly a challenge.
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff – USA TODAY Sports
