While many expected the Kansas City Chiefs to run away with the AFC this season, there have been some other teams that have stepped up to challenge the Chiefs. With only one week left in the regular season, we have a pretty good idea of who the top playoff contenders will be. Let’s take a look at the favorites to win the AFC, their odds to win the AFC Conference Championship, and we’ll give you a brief analysis of each of the top contenders.
AFC Conference Championship Odds and Analysis
Kansas City Chiefs +177
The oddsmakers still have a lot of faith in the Kansas City Chiefs. While the defense has been better as of late, last Sunday’s defensive performance against the Cincinnati Bengals should make people worry. Patrick Mahomes and the offense still haven’t fired on all cylinders this season, but maybe the postseason will bring out the best in them. We’ll see if teams continue to play shell coverage against them and take away the long passes. If they do, Kansas City will need to make adjustments, or their season could be over quickly.
Buffalo Bills +295
Buffalo has been dominating at times this season, but at others, they’ve shown that even some of the worst teams in the league can defeat them. If Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are clicking, the Bills are very hard to stop. Allen is one of the biggest weapons in the league, and if the Bills running game can step things up, they’ll be tough to beat. Buffalo’s defense has shown that they can also be very good. We’ll see which Buffalo Bills team shows up in the postseason.
Tennessee Titans +380
With all of the injury issues that they’ve had, it’s hard to believe that the Titans will more than likely be the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Now that AJ Brown and Julio Jones are healthy, the Titans have all of their receiving threats. We also can’t forget that Derrick Henry, arguably the best runner in the league, should be back for the playoffs. The biggest question mark surrounding the Titans is the strength of their defense. If the defense struggles, the Titans could be in trouble.
New England Patriots +590
Even with a rookie starting quarterback, the Patriots have exceeded expectations this season, and are still in the hunt to win the AFC East. The Pats have had great performances from their defense this season, and the offense has done just enough to win games. We’ll see if Mac Jones and the offense are ready for the postseason, or will the stage be too big?
Cincinnati Bengals +780
The Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. Joe Burrow and the offense have been stellar over the last two games, as Burrow has thrown for over 800 yards with eight touchdowns. Throw in the hard running of Joe Mixon, and you have a team that’s ready to make a postseason run. We’ll see if the defense can play well. If so, look out for the Bengals.
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