NFL Futures: Chiefs Leading Latest AFC Championship Odds

After last week’s upset loss to the Tennessee Titans the New England Patriots are no longer the favorites on the AFC championship odds. That honor now belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs. On those latest futures the Chiefs are on top at +200, followed by the Patriots at +240. Will that be short-lived with the Chiefs taking on the Los Angeles Rams this weekend?

The Chiefs are the underdog on the road against the Rams this week. That may not be a bad thing for the Chiefs, though, as they are 7-2 straight up and 8-1 against the spread in their last nine games as an underdog. The Chiefs have also won six straight versus the Rams. If they make it seven in a row they could be bigger favorites on next week’s AFC futures.

AFC Championship Odds: Patriots Get Bye Week to Regroup

The Patriots get a week off to regroup after the beating Tennessee put on them. The Patriots should rebound in Week 12 with what looks like an easy matchup against the New York Jets. All three of the Patriots’ losses this season have come as a road favorite. If the Patriots don’t have home-field advantage in the postseason can they repeat as AFC champions?

Next on the AFC championship odds are the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, both at +500. The Chargers continue to fly under the radar despite the fact they’ve won six straight. Part of the reason behind that may be because during their winning streak the Chargers have beaten only one team over .500, and the combined record of those teams is 15-31. The Chargers still have games at Pittsburgh and Kansas City to prove they are legit.

The Steelers were almost written off after starting the season 1-2-1. After winning and covering the spread in their last five games, however, the Steelers have pushed their way back into the contender conversation. They could prove themselves even more the rest of the way with big games against the Chargers, Patriots and New Orleans Saints.

AFC Championship Odds: Texans are a Wild Card on Futures

The wild card on the AFC futures right now looks like the Houston Texans. Like Pittsburgh, the Texans started out slowly with three straight losses to open the season. Since then they’ve won six straight and sit in first place in the AFC South. Like the Chargers, the Texans’ winning streak hasn’t been against the league’s best, with none of their opponents over .500 and their combined record sitting at 22-34.

The Texans were on their bye in Week 10 and return in Week 11 against a team with a wining record when they face the Washington Redskins on the road. More important might be their Week 12 game against Tennessee, who trails them by only one game in the division. After that Houston doesn’t have another game this season against a team currently over .500.