Gambling on NFL Futures?
2014 AFC West Division Outlook – Denver’s Division to Lose
The NFL season is right around the corner – the draft and rookie camps are a thing of the past. Although position battles have yet to be determined there are some definite favorites in each division based on projected roster alone – the AFC West is absolutely no exception.
It appears to be Denver and everyone else in the AFC West – Vegas totally agrees with that sentiment. Let’s break down the Division and what should play out during the 2014 regular season.
Odds to Win from sportsbook.ag
Denver Broncos -300
The Denver Broncos seem to have little resistance on their path to another AFC West crown. Not only do they have talent on both sides of the ball but they also have an enormous chip on their shoulder after an embarrassing showing in last year’s Super Bowl.
The perceived weakness on the Broncos got a whole lot better during the offseason – Aqib Talib joins DeMarcus Ware on a defense that on paper looks a whole lot more formidable than the team that won the AFC last year.
CLICK to GRAB OUR BEST Expert Sports & Football Picks for 2014 GAMBLING!
Peyton Manning and the offense will do their part for sure. Knowshon Moreno is out but Montee Ball is ready and willing to take over the reins in the backfield. Erik Decker is also gone but has been replaced by Emanuel Sanders from Pittsburgh.
Top to bottom the Broncos look like the team to beat in the AFC again. Of course the health of Peyton Manning is absolutely key but assuming that Manning stays upright Denver should run away with the AFC West again.
San Diego Chargers +650
The San Diego Chargers have arguably been the most maddening team to support in the NFL the last decade or so – so much promise – so few results especially in the playoffs. The Chargers still boast a good offense – Phil Rivers is a quality pivot, Keenan Allen was an absolute revelation last year, Antonio Gates may have a year or two left on that beat up body and the combination of Ryan Matthews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown should make it difficult to say the least on opposing defenses.
[soliloquy id=”82219″]
San Diego’s defense got better during the NFL draft. This unit was good last year and has a chance under defensive mastermind Mike McCoy and O-Coordinator John Pagano to take the next step.
While I can’t see the Chargers challenging the Broncos to the Division title, a second place finish in the AFC West is where I see them finishing, followed by a patented early playoff exit.
Kansas City Chiefs +650
The Chiefs were the breakout team of the first half of the season last year… and then the rest of the league took note and caught up to what KC was doing. Alex Smith was the difference maker for Kansas City last year – he guided a surprisingly good offense and took care of the ball along the way. But questions are abound about whether or not Smith will be able to duplicate his incredible feet from last year – three of his five O-linemen tackle Branden Albert, and guards Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz left via free agency and names like Dexter McCluster and defensive end Tyson Jackson are out of the mix.
Simply put the Chiefs did little to improve during the offseason. In fact they may have gotten worse. With the elite Broncos in their division and with the San Diego Chargers looking poised to be better under second year coach Mike McCoy, KC will be in a race just to qualify for the playoffs.
Expect a third place finish in the AFC West for the Chiefs this year – far from the expectations that the team created for themselves last year.
Oakland Raiders +2500
Ugh! The Raiders continue their two-decade long rebuild this year. The team acquired Matt Schaub to guide the offense and chose Derek Carr #36 overall in the draft to “solidify” what has been a series bad experiments the last few seasons – there is no guarantee that these moves pay off either!
That said the Raiders did get perhaps the most NFL ready player in the draft in LB Khalil Mack and the defense promises to be improved from an OK 2013 campaign. Still, the Raiders continue to be the poor cousin of the AFC West and will be a success just to finish 8-8 this year.
The message in Oakland sounds like a broken record – be patient and things will turn around. RIGHT!
The 2014/15 NFL futures betting season is here in full force! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting.
