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Kansas City Chiefs Preview

Is Title No.7 on the Cards?

Perennial AFC West favorites, the Kansas City Chiefs, will begin their sixth consecutive division title defense campaign in 2022, albeit with significant roster changes as big names such as Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu (among others) quit the Chiefs for greener pastures elsewhere.

Despite these significant losses, the markets remain high on the Chiefs. They’re installed as the top favorite to win the AFC West and among the league’s best bets to win the AFC and Super Bowl 57.

Kansas City Chiefs Preview
Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Read on for all you need to know about the Kansas City Chiefs in this preseason series of NFL betting previews. We’ll check the latest NFL picks, stats, injury reports, and NFL odds before capping it all off with NFL predictions for your consideration.

Kansas City Chiefs Odds

  • To win AFC West +160
  • To win AFC +450
  • To win Super Bowl LVII +1000
  • To make Playoffs Yes -215/ No +175

Chiefs Offense

Two words: Patrick Mahomes. He’s magical. The fifth-year starter is so obviously this team’s strength. The things he can do to keep a drive alive and seemingly set up scores from just about anywhere on the field are phenomenal. However, credit must also be given to the entire offensive line, which – let’s face it – has been absolutely stellar over the last four years.

Not every quarterback is drafted onto a ready-made, championship-caliber team. Mahomes was one of those lucky ones from day dot. Travis Kelce is one of the most threatening offensive weapons in the game today, and while Hill’s departure will be an adjustment, the Kansas City Chiefs brought in a slew of talent, including Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Mecole Hardman will likely step into a more pivotal role, while rookie Skyy Moore could be a real contender for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honor.

Player to Watch: QB Patrick Mahomes

Chiefs Defense

Tyrann Mathieu was a staple on this defense and one of its most prolific players. He did everything for the defense and then some, so his departure to New Orleans Saints is sure to leave a void. That said, even with Mathieu, the Chiefs’ defense ranked in the middle of the standings in 2021.

Safety Justin Reid was brought in to replace Mathieu. He has big shoes to fill, to say the least. The Chiefs bolstered the defense by drafting rookie George Karlaftis in the first round. Karlaftis is expected to elevate the pass rush game this season. He joins Frank Clark, Chris Jones, and Derrick Nnandi as the key returning starters to the Chiefs defense.

Player to Watch: George Karlaftis

Chiefs Team Strength

The Chiefs’ strength is obviously the offense. So long as Mahomes is fit and healthy, this team will be a contender. Mahomes’ first four years as a starter are impressive, with the Chiefs reaching the AFC Championship game or better each season.

Perhaps, most importantly, consistency at the offensive coordinator position underscores this strength further. All too often, coordinators come and go – either via promotion or the sack. Eric Bieniemy has worked with Mahomes from the start, and the pair have crafted the offense to suit the elite quarterback’s wide range of skills and talent.

Chiefs Team Weakness

There aren’t many glaring weaknesses on a team that consistently wins the division title and goes deep into the playoffs. That doesn’t mean there aren’t areas for improvement, one of which is the pass rush. It remains to be seen whether Karlaftis is up for the big job.

Chiefs Forecast

The Chiefs have been one of the most productive and consistent of the 32 teams in the league. Every year, there’s talk about a possible regression, and this year is no exception as the AFC West as a whole has improved – on paper.

But until proven otherwise, it’s hard to bet against the Chiefs, especially as far as division supremacy goes. Even in a scenario that would see the Chiefs miss out on a seventh-division title, they are still a solid bet to make the playoffs.

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