NFL Odds: Patriots Closely Trail Chiefs As Favorites To Win AFC

The New England Patriots enjoy a bye this weekend after having a six-game straight-up win streak halted by a 34-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans. But despite coming out on the wrong end of last weekend’s decision as 6.5-point road chalk the Patriots remain among the favorites on the AFC championship odds, trailing only Kansas City as a +240 wager at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

The Patriots opened as +225 favorites on the AFC championship futures after making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years last February. The team subsequently opened the current campaign with losses in two of their first three outings, but have recovered to take over the top spot in the AFC East, and are pegged as massive -8000 chalk on the NFL futures to claim a 10th straight divisional title.

However, the Patriots face fierce competition in their bid to repeat as conference champions from the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs, who enter a highly anticipated Week 11 Monday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as +200 favorites on the AFC championship odds.

Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs have racked up 35.3 points per game while marching to a conference-leading 9-1 record. Mahomes leads all pivots with 3,150 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes, lifting the 23-year-old to the top of the NFL MVP odds.

With four of their final six games coming against opponents currently sitting outside the playoff picture, Kansas City is positioned to pay out as heavy -800 chalk to win the AFC West. However, the Chiefs enter a possible playoff showdown with New England on a 3-7 SU run against the Patriots, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, including a 43-40 loss at Gillette Stadium as 3.5-point underdogs in Week 6.

Further down the AFC championship odds, the Los Angeles Chargers join the Pittsburgh Steelers at +500, ahead of the Houston Texans at +1200, while the Titans trail at +2200.

The Chargers have quietly kept pace with the Chiefs in the AFC West by posting six straight victories. However, Los Angeles has managed to reach the AFC Championship Game just once since making its lone Super Bowl appearance in 1995.

The Steelers have won five straight since opening on a worrisome 1-2-1 run, but face a challenging schedule down the stretch, including December dates with the Chargers, Patriots, and New Orleans Saints.

Houston has climbed to the top of the AFC South standings during a 6-0 SU run, while the Titans have rekindled their playoff hopes with recent wins over Dallas and New England, and have claimed each of their five wins while pegged as betting underdogs.