2022 Midseason Report: AFC West
Not a lot has changed in the weeks since our AFC West quarterly report, The teams remain in the same spots in the standing, and the odds remain more or less consistent. The Kansas City Chiefs are the overwhelming favorites to take the division. However, the Los Angeles Chargers are just a little behind and offer fantastic value as betting underdogs. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are battling for last place.
Let’s check the latest super bowl betting, stats, and injury reports for the 2022 Midseason, AFC West.
Chiefs (6-2)
- Odds to win AFC West -650
- Odds to win AFC +275
- Odds of winning the Super Bowl +525
The Kansas City Chiefs remain the obvious choice to win the AFC West at -650 through nine weeks. While the road has been bumpy, KC continues to beat other top-tier teams. That is, aside from the Buffalo Bills in Week 7.
Patrick Mahomes may get most of the praise in Kansas City, but Travis Kelce keeps this team in Super Bowl bet contention. Kelce ranks sixth in receptions, and seventh in yards and leads the NFL with seven receiving touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers, especially from a tight end.
The trouble is if something happens to Kelce. He is the only guy Mahomes is comfortable with, as most of the receivers in KC are new. Mahomes and Kelce continue to produce big numbers. But one has to wonder when teams will figure out a way to shut down the duo. With the workload Kelce’’s seeing, injuries are also a concern. But, for now, they are the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.
The passing defense remains the biggest weakness for Kansas City and ranks 24th with 249.5 yards per game allowed. At some point, it may become too much for Mahomes and Kelce to keep up with the production that opposing quarterbacks can generate against the Chiefs.
Chargers (5-3)
- Odds to win AFC West +450
- Odds to win AFC +1400
- Odds to win Super Bowl +2800
The fact that the Chargers are hanging with KC amid their injuries is impressive. Joey Bosa is out for most of the rest of the season, Keenan Allen has played just twice, Mike Williams remains out after missing Week 9, and the list goes on. Injuries have decimated this team, and it has fallen in the hands of Austin Ekeler to keep the Chargers charging.
Ekeler leads the NFL with 10 touchdowns, six of which were on the ground and four in the air. His 457 yards after the catch leads the NFL among all offensive players. He is doing it all, but the offense is becoming a bit one-dimensional with all the injuries to wideouts. Kudos to Justin Herbert for amassing 2,254 yards and 13 touchdowns with this rag-tag group of receivers the Chargers are forced to rely on.
With all the injuries, it’s a wonder they still have a winning record considering their defense is the third-worst in preventing points. If they don’t get their offense healthy and humming, the fight for third place in the AFC West may become a three-way.
Broncos (3-5)
- Odds to win AFC West +3300
- Odds to win AFC +6000
- Odds to win Super Bowl +12500
The Denver Broncos have yet to capitalize on the talent they procured in the offseason and continue to disappoint. After a 340-yard debut against his former team, Russell Wilson has yet to come close to 300 yards again. He enters the second half as the 19th-ranked QB in passing yards (1,694), 25th in touchdowns (6), and 26th in passer rating (83.5). We’re guessing his shoulder procedure earlier in the year was ineffective.
The defense, on the other hand, continues to play fantastic football. Denver’s unit ranks second in points per game (16.5) and yards per game (288.4). Nobody is better in the red zone or limiting passing yards.
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If only the offense weren’t so tragically bad, the Broncos could be knocking on the Chiefs’ door. There will be no sweeping changes this season, and the Broncos may struggle to finish with a winning record.
Raiders (2-6)
- Odds to win AFC West +4000
- Odds to win AFC +7500
- Odds to win Super Bowl +15000
The first time around, we stated how the Las Vegas Raiders were a great 1-4 team. However, as the weeks rolled on, we realized that was not the case. It didn’t take long. Now, heading into Week 10, we can confidently say the Raiders are precisely where they belong at 2-6.
The offense was the only thing keeping them afloat with four straight games with over 22 points between weeks 2 and 5. But, they scored 20 or fewer in Weeks 7,8, and 9. That includes a 24-0 shutout by the New Orleans Saints. In Week 9, they lost for the third time after leading by at least 17 points. That leads us to this team’s real problem.
The Raider’s offense has been hot and cold, but their defense has been consistently poor. Las Vegas allows more than 25 points per game and north of 370 yards. The Raiders are dead last in takeaways per game and commit a ton of penalties.
Las Vegas may not finish in fourth place, but its chances of a playoff run are nothing more than a fleeting memory at 2-6.
