2017 NFL AFC West Odds & Expert Picks/Predictions – Forecasting the AFC West Division

2017 NFL AFC West Odds & Expert Picks/Predictions – Forecasting the AFC West Division: The odds to win the AFC West Division are posted at Bovada Sportsbook and the Oakland Raiders are the favorites heading into the 2017 NFL season at +173 odds. The Raiders are followed by the Kansas City Chiefs at +235 odds, Denver Broncos at +285 odds and Los Angeles Chargers at +590 odds. Continue reading below for NSAwins.com’s team of expert NFL handicappers’ 2017 NFL picks to win the AFC West Division. NSAwins.com is the nation’s premier source for expert football handicapping information and the best expert 2017 NFL predictions to beat the vegas odds.

2017 AFC West Division Predictions and Odds to Win

1. Oakland Raiders(+173 odds to win AFC West at Bovada) – The Oakland Raiders may be moving to Las Vegas soon but that won’t stop them from putting on a show for their loyal Oakland fans this season as they have a loaded roster. The Raiders were the surprise of the NFL last season going 12-4 and appeared to be a serious threat to win the AFC until star quarterback Derek Carr suffered a season ending injury in week 16. That injury basically ended any hopes the Raiders had to make noise in the postseason and they flamed out in week 17 at Denver and in the postseason at Houston. The Raiders come back loaded this year after acquiring running back Marshawn Lynch in a trade from Seattle plus they had a great draft to boost their defense as they used their top 3 picks on defensive players headlined by cornerback Gareon Conley from Ohio State in the first round. The Raiders finished just 26th in total defense last season but have the talent to improve drastically especially with the best defensive player in the NFL playing end/linebacker in Khlalil Mack. Offensively, few offenses will be more explosive as the Raiders offense should easily be one of the Top 5 in the NFL.

2. Denver Broncos(+285 odds to win AFC West at Bovada) – The Denver Broncos had a down year last season going just 9-7 after winning the Super Bowl in 2015 but we feel they will bounce back nicely in 2017 and get back to the AFC Playoffs. The Broncos defense is still arguably the best defense in the NFL and will be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators to game plan for again this season. The Broncos finished 4th in total defense last season and 4th in scoring defense. Offensively the Broncos were a nightmare last season finishing 27th in the NFL in total offense and 22nd in scoring. However, the Broncos should be improved this season with an extra year of experience under the belts of projected starting quarterback Trevor Siemian and backup Paxton Lynch. The Broncos passing game should be improved and the offensive line should be a big reason why as it should be improved greatly. The Broncos brought in free agents Menelik Watson and Ron Leary from Oakland and Dallas to help bolster the line plus used their first round pick in the NFL Draft on tackle Garett Bolles.

3. Kansas City Chiefs(+235 odds to win AFC West at Bovada) – The Kansas City Chiefs have been on the come up the last three seasons as they have improved from 9 wins in 2014 to 11 wins in 2015 to 12 wins in 2016. A lot of so-called experts are predicting the Chiefs to be one of the AFC’s best teams this season and make a run at the Super Bowl but we simply don’t see it. In fact, we think the writing is on the wall for the Chiefs to take a step back and miss the playoffs entirely this season. Sure, head coach Andy Reid is one of the top head coaches in the NFL but when you dig into the numbers you realize the Chiefs won 12 games last season with smoke and mirrors. The offense was the 20th best in the NFL while the defense was ranked 24th. As you could see against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, it was men against boys as the Steelers went into Arrowhead and toyed with the Chiefs while winning 18-16 in a game that really shouldn’t have been that close. The Chiefs cut wide receiver Jeremy Maclin out of nowhere after the NFL Draft and an already mediocre offense should be even more mediocre this season. Sure, 2nd year wide out Tyreek Hill has big time potential but when opposing defenses decide to double up on him there is not much else on the Chiefs roster to get excited about down the field.

4. Los Angeles Chargers(+590 odds to win AFC West at Bovada) – The Chargers have a new home and a new head coach this season as they look to rebound from a 5-11 season last year that came on the heels of a 4-12 season in 2015. The Chargers have moved and now call Los Angeles home while they hired Anthony Lynn to be their new head coach. The Chargers appear to be in for another long season as they simply don’t have the overall talent to beat out the Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs in the AFC West and it would be a shock to see them win more than 6 games tops this season in our opinion. The Chargers still have a good quarterback to rely on as Philip Rivers is still slinging the ball for them but long-time tight end Antonio Gates is not getting any younger and wide receiver Keenan Allen may take some time to regain his form after suffering a season ending knee injury in week 1 last year. The offense should be okay but far from great. The defense should also be okay but far from great as they simply don’t have an all pro playmaker that is ready to take this defense to the next level. 2nd year defensive end Joey Bosa is the closest they have to an all pro but he is still a season or two away from making that jump in our eyes. The Chargers won’t be terrible but they play in a tough division and because of that they will likely win a couple fewer games than their overall talent should win.

2017 AFC West Prediction: Oakland Raiders to win at +173 odds.

Odds to Win the 2017 AFC West
Oakland Raiders +173
Kansas City Chiefs +235
Denver Broncos +285
Los Angeles Chargers +590

Check the odds to win 2018 Super Bowl plus daily 2017 NFL vegas odds and lines updated daily throughout the year at NSAwins.com!

Need Expert Winning 2017 NFL Predictions and Picks? Be sure to check out NSAwins.com’s award-winning NFL Football Season Picks Packages for expert winners against the vegas spreads and totals in NFL Football this season including 2017 NFL Football Picks and Predictions to beat the vegas point spreads and totals!