This is familiar: The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl favorites.
The Chiefs took a circuitous route to having the shortest odds at BetMGM to win it all as of Monday morning. They started slow this season. Two weeks ago they were 2-3. They weren’t far down the Super Bowl odds, but they were 10-to-1 to win it all.
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Two wins later, they top the list. The Chiefs are +550 (bet $100 to win $550) to win the Super Bowl after their blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Last week the Chiefs were +650, behind the Buffalo Bills in the odds. The Bills were on a bye this week, and are coming off two straight losses.
That led to a change. Now the question becomes if the Chiefs will hold that spot the rest of the season.
Chiefs had 3 early losses
The Chiefs got off to a slow start but there were good reasons for it.
They were without No. 1 receiver Rashee Rice due to a suspension for six weeks. They were very thin on offense when Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury on the first drive of the season. They were shorthanded, but still competitive.
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The Chiefs’ luck in close games turned though. The Chiefs won every game last season decided by eight or fewer points. Then to start this season they didn’t win any of their three one-possession games. Regression is a real thing. So while they were 2-3 at one point, they were better than their record. That’s why only four teams had shorter Super Bowl odds than the Chiefs when they were 2-3. There was also the schedule: Losing close games to the Chargers, Eagles and Jaguars wasn’t the end of the world. Every one of those teams is over .500.
The last couple of games, the Chiefs made sure they didn’t lose another close game. They had some convincing wins instead.
Rashee Rice returned to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 and they blew out the Raiders. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
(Michael Owens via Getty Images)
Chiefs look good lately
In Week 6 the Chiefs had a good 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions, who have been among the Super Bowl favorites all season. Then they demolished the Raiders 31-0.
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The Chiefs out-gained the Raiders 434-95. They had 30 first downs and the Raiders had only three. Rice returned to the lineup and had two short touchdowns. It’s rare to see an NFL game that lopsided.
While beating the 2-5 Raiders isn’t going to impress anyone, the manner in which the Chiefs did it was notable. And the Chiefs look very good lately. Patrick Mahomes has looked like prime Mahomes and will be in the NFL MVP discussion all season. He’s the favorite at BetMGM with +160 odds. The offense will be a lot better with Worthy and Rice. The defense was fantastic on Sunday. Suddenly the Chiefs look like the best team in the NFL, still right in the middle of their ongoing dynasty.
The oddsmakers agreed, when it came to the Super Bowl odds.