Football is finally on the immediate horizon! In fact, if you are in the business of watching preseason action, it’s already here. We are already in Week 2 of the preseason, but the real thing can’t come soon enough. Week 1 will kick off on September 5 with Thursday Night Football between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Here at Pickswise we are building up to the new season and you can check out our NFL futures guide, which has our Super Bowl winner picks, MVP best bets, player award predictions and much more.
For now, we are breaking down every division with in-depth team analysis and best bets. Let’s dive into the AFC West, which will generate plenty of headlines as the home of both the Super Bowl champions (Chiefs) and head coach Jim Harbaugh (Chargers). Here are the NFL odds and our expert NFL picks for the division.
AFC West Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
- Kansas City Chiefs -230
- Los Angeles Chargers +320
- Las Vegas Raiders +900
- Denver Broncos +1800
Kansas City Chiefs (-230)
Needless to say, the 2-time defending Super Bowl champions are on top of the football world. And until somebody beats them (specifically in the playoffs), that’s where they will remain. While another Lombardi Trophy is a hard thing to project, at the very least Kansas City should have no trouble once again finishing atop the division. Head coach Andy Reid’s squad has reeled off an amazing 8 AFC West titles in succession. When you still have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, you are pretty much always going to be a massive favorite in the division – regardless of the surrounding pieces. It is fair to say that the Chiefs have endured a tumultuous offseason, but – again – it hardly matters with Mahomes under center. Kansas City looks like an absolute lock to pick up another division crown.
Kansas City Chiefs best bet: Chiefs to win the AFC West (-230)
Los Angeles Chargers (+320)
It’s a new era in Los Angeles, where Harbaugh has taken his talents from college football to the pros. I’m not necessarily saying that Harbaugh is a miracle worker, but anyone is Brandon Staley. The simple fact that Staley is gone should mean that the Chargers are an upward trajectory. Replacing him with an esteemed coach like Harbaugh is merely a bonus to the smashing success that was getting rid of Staley. Less enthusiastic news is that running back Austin Ekeler is gone, but Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins make up a capable backfield. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have also departed, so this is a very different looking offense. Still, Justin Herbert’s presence alone should make for a decent unit. Harbaugh has enough to work with to get this club into a wild-card spot.
Los Angeles Chargers best bet: Chargers to make the playoffs (+110)
Las Vegas Raiders (+900)
The Raiders were good enough (5-4) under interim head coach Antonio Pierce to have no choice but to hire him on a permanent basis, but at the same time they weren’t good enough to inspire a whole lot of confidence moving forward. Beyond Pierce, perhaps even more important is that the player personnel is underwhelming. Las Vegas wanted to get its hands on a franchise quarterback during the offseason but instead has settled for a stable that includes Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. I’m sorry, but in a QB-driven league that just isn’t going to get it done. Josh Jacobs is gone now, too, leaving running back duties to Zamir White and Alexander Mattison. A defensive line featuring Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins and John Jenkins is the highlight, but this defense may have to be the best in the entire league if Las Vegas wants to win a fair share of games. In all likelihood it won’t be.
Las Vegas Raiders best bet: Raiders to go 0-2 against the Chiefs (-155)
Denver Broncos (+1800)
The best the Broncos can probably hope for in 2024 is a third-place finish in the division. A playoff berth seems unlikely. The Russell Wilson era is over, and that is a very good thing, but Bo Nix probably has to be considered a work in progress. Expecting Nix to suddenly end the franchise’s streak of 7 consecutive losing seasons is unrealistic. The former Oregon standout doesn’t have a ton of weapons at his disposal, either. Denver’s defense should be solid under coordinator Vance Joseph – and more broadly under head coach Sean Payton, even though Payton is an offensive mind. All in all, this is a franchise in rebuilding mode. It would do well to avoid last place in the AFC West, but outside of that there may not be any real goals that can be accomplished other than building for the future.
Denver Broncos best bet: Broncos Over 5.5 wins (+100)
AFC West division predictions
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
AFC West Best Bet: Chiefs-Chargers 1-2 exacta (+140)
There isn’t any value on the Chiefs at -230 to win the division, but an exact finish of Chiefs-Chargers well into plus money is a great play. Kansas City is arguably the best team in the league. Los Angeles may not be anything special, but the upgrade at head coach is almost certainly enough to put this team ahead of Denver and Las Vegas.
