NFL Futures: Can The Chiefs Repeat as Super Bowl Champs?

BEST BET: Kansas City Chiefs @ +650

• Patrick Mahomes threw for over 4,000 yards in just 14 games in 2019
• Travis Kelce produced over 1,200 yards at tight end

Why the Chiefs are a good bet:

Betting on the most talented roster in the NFL to win the Super Bowl is always a logical plan. That is why backing the Chiefs to win their second Lombardi Trophy in a row is the right bet for you to make this season.

Regular readers know that we don’t enjoy betting on the favorites. The same is true this season. It would be more fun to select a team with longer odds to win this year’s Super Bowl. That doesn’t make it the right wager for you to make if you want to win money.

The Chiefs are clearly loaded on the offensive side of the ball. Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. His ability to make throws from bizarre arm angles makes him impossible for opposing defenses to defend. If he stays healthy there’s no reason to think that Kansas City won’t improve on their scoring average of 28.2 points per game in 2019.

Mahomes’ job is made easier by his embarrassment of riches at wide receiver and tight end. Travis Kelce’s performance may start slipping as he enters his 30s, but he’s still going to be very productive in 2020. The combination of his size and speed makes him a nightmare match-up for linebackers or safeties that try to cover him down the seam.

In a perfect world, opponents would like to double cover a dynamic weapon like Kelce. The talent the Chiefs possess at wide receiver makes that a very dubious plan. Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman all have the speed required to burn opponents on deep routes. The depth that Kansas City possesses in their receiving corps is simply too much for opponents to match on a regular basis.

The real question the Chiefs need to answer in 2020 is whether or not their defense can do enough to get this team back to the promised land. There’s a ton of pressure on defensive tackle Chris Jones and safety Tyrann Mathieu to use their prodigious talents to cover up the weaknesses of some of their teammates. Injuries to either superstar would send the Chiefs back into the morass of good teams that want to make it to his year’s Super Bowl.

One subtle advantage the Chiefs will enjoy this season is continuity. The current pandemic will likely shorten the amount of time teams get a chance to work together before the regular season arrives. Kansas City has some new players to work into the mix, but the core of their roster from last year’s Super Bowl run returns intact. Andy Reid and his coaching staff aren’t going to be forced to rush a ton of new players onto the field. That should allow the Chiefs to rack up some early season wins to gain an advantage over some of their competitors.

6:1 odds may not seem like great value for a potential bet, but the odds on the Chiefs could easily have come in at somewhere closer to 3:1. There’s enough meat here on the bone to make a wager worth your while. The Chiefs happen to be the betting favorite but there’s not a ton of distance between Kansas City and its competitors.

Overall this bet comes down to backing the team with he largest margin for error. It’s hard to envision any scenario where the Chiefs don’t make the playoffs unless they’re beset by major injuries. Mahomes is going to lead this offense to another season where they score a ton of points. That means the Chiefs will win double-digit regular season games even if their defense struggles to keep up.

Betting against the Chiefs against any opponent in the playoffs is a foolish choice. Reid can cook up and offensive scheme that can flummox even the most talented of defenses they’ll face. Add the magic of Mahomes to that tactical advantage and it’s easy to see why Kansas City will fancy their chances against any opponent when the postseason comes around.

Defending a Super Bowl title is a challenge for any franchise, but the Chiefs have the right combination of talent and coaching to secure a second consecutive title. They are the right future bet to place on this year’s Super Bowl. Waiting to back Kansas City is only going to cause you to take worse odds at a later date. Bet on the Chiefs now while the iron is hot and the odds are in your favor.