2022 AFC West Predictions & Odds: Who Has the Upper Hand in a Loaded AFC West?

The AFC West Division within the NFL consists of 3 teams in the western part of the United States. The Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs are the ones battling for the AFC West title each season.

Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs took the division by 2 games over the Las Vegas Raiders. They made it to the AFC Championship game, but fell in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals.

This season, the West is loaded with 4 potential playoff teams. I see three teams from this division making the playoffs, so let’s take a dive into the stats to see who has the upper hand out of the bunch.

2022 AFC West Title Odds

• Kansas City Chiefs +155
• Los Angeles Chargers +240
• Denver Broncos +260
• Las Vegas Raiders +700

2022 AFC West Record Predictions

• Kansas City Chiefs: 13-4
• Denver Broncos: 12-5
• Los Angeles Chargers: 12-5
• Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7

2022 AFC West Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have been the frontrunners in the AFC for a few years now. They have been to 3 straight AFC Championship games, and they narrowly missed out on a third straight trip to the Super Bowl.

Kansas City will be without Tyreek Hill now, but don’t be alarmed. Patrick Mahomes will surely put on a show and be in the running for league MVP. They will have to contend with a tougher. division, but their home stadium is still going to be the toughest place to play in the NFL.

The Chiefs are on their way to another division title. They are the favorite, and I couldn’t agree more. Even with a tougher schedule than last year, their second ranked offense will shine. If they can get the running game together, 13-4 is an easy accomplishment.

Denver Broncos

Denver has been waiting for another star quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. They finally have one in Russell Wilson. The acquisition over the offseason boosted the Broncos into. elite status, and their offense will greatly benefit.

With young running back Javonte Williams, the future of the running game is bright. They weren’t the worst last year, but expect great improvement from the front line when the season gets underway.

Denver could easily win the division. With Wilson at quarterback as a veteran, he will be able to teach the younger receiving core and bond with them quickly. 12-5 is a conservative estimate, and they will be in the running for the division into Week 18.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have taken Justin Herbert, and fashioned him into a franchise quarterback. It was a shock when they missed the playoffs last year, but it was only by a slim margin.

This team is dangerous with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the passing game. They were both fantasy football studs last season, and their 182 combined receptions lead the team to a respectable 9-8 record.

Expect bigger thing from the Chargers in 2022. They have a mix of young and seasoned players, and they are pushing for the playoffs. They will have a spot in the playoffs as a wild card team, but this team is good enough for a shot at the division title.

Las Vegas Raiders

Someone has to be left out in the division, and it is hard to pick one. However, with the talent compared, LAs Vegas is just shy of a playoff spot. They made the playoffs last year as the #5 seed, but they have a lot more competition in the division.

The Raiders were a Top 10 passing team last year, and I expect that to continue with the addition of DaVante Adams to their core. The running game could definitely improve, but with the weapons for Derek Carr in the passing game, why run the ball?

I have the Raiders at 3-3 in the division, so they will compete well against the rest of the group, but their schedule is quite tough as they will play road games against the Rams, Titans, Chargers, Chiefs, and Broncos. 10-7 is a good bet, but they could be one of the surprises later in the year.