Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II at the 2022 American Century Championship.
The Kansas City Chiefs did not stand idly by this offseason after their fourth consecutive season reaching the AFC championship game. Management didn’t say — let’s run it back and give it another shot with the same group of players.
No, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid were not complacent at all. Instead, they made tough decisions moving on from key pieces like Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu and Anthony Hitchens in an effort to better the future, even if it meant risking the present.
It was a nervous start to the offseason for fans as the recent football juggernaut reshaped itself but after a strong free agency period and draft, few are doubting what the Chiefs can accomplish in 2022. One NFL bettor even threw the house on it.
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$77K Bet Would Yield $147,000
Every now and then, a sportsbook will receive a bet so large that they decide to tweet it out. That’s exactly what happened on DraftKings Sportsbook on July 20.
BIG-ASS BET 🚨
A bettor has put $77,000 on the Kansas City Chiefs OVER 10.5 wins.
Potential Payout: $147,000
“A bettor has put $77,000 on the Kansas City Chiefs OVER 10.5 wins,” they informed. “Potential Payout: $147,000.”
Considering the offseason the Chiefs have had, you may never get another opportunity to bet on Patrick Mahomes II and Reid at 10.5 wins. Having said that, $77,000 is a lot of money that could buy a car or put a young adult through college. Forget betting the house, with that sort of cash you could put a hefty down payment on a house.
You’d have to be confident to risk a chunk of change like that and there’s still good reason to be. Sure, Kansas City will have to go through what is the toughest division — and possibly overall schedule — in the NFL on paper, but the Chiefs are the team you fear, not the one who fears others.
ESPN+ recently dropped power rankings projecting the next three NFL seasons and KC finished second, behind the Buffalo Bills.
“No team has a better head coach and quarterback combination than Kansas City,” explained ESPN insider Field Yates, “as the Chiefs have owned the AFC for four straight years and are primed to stay in the hunt going forward. But it would be oversimplifying things to examine only the greatness of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, as Kansas City’s roster boasts one of the game’s best offensive lines, a defense with intriguing young pieces, and an overall franchise sustainability that comes from top-down commitment.”
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Intriguing Chiefs Bets in 2022
The Chiefs currently open up the season as three-point favorites on the road in Arizona according to DraftKings Sportsbook, but there are a few interesting futures bets to keep an eye on.
Mahomes is tied for second in the odds for most passing yards this season at +800. His over/under for the year is set at 4,650.5 yards with a passing touchdown over/under of 34.5 TDs.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has a manageable rushing touchdown over/under of 6.5, assuming he keeps the starting job, and Travis Kelce is the major pass-catcher DraftKings has listed at over/under 9.5 receiving touchdowns and over/under 90.5 receptions.
Rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore could be a worthwhile player to take a chance on too. His reception total is set at 50.5 and he has +1000 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In terms of other franchise futures, DraftKings Sportsbook gives KC +175 odds to win the AFC West — which is the greatest out of the four rivals — and -215 odds of making the playoffs. Another Super Bowl appearance offers +600 odds and a second Super Bowl victory under Reid yields odds of +1000.