Kansas City Chiefs Odds - Chiefs use ex-Patriots to rebuild
Herm Edwards may be gone, but the online sports betting community know that he left the Kansas City Chiefs in good shape for the future. While the Chiefs odds to win the Super Bowl indicate that there is no realistic chance for them to win it, the Chiefs at least have a foundation - including a couple of ex-New England Patriots running the show.
Kansas City Chiefs odds: +8000 to win Super Bowl XLIV
- Chiefs pinning future on Matt Cassel
- New head coach, Todd Haley, will try to develop the offense
- Chiefs 31st-ranked defense must improve
The Chiefs odds to win the Super Bowl are 80-to-1, which is high, but better than most 2-14 teams. The reason for that is because even though the Chiefs lost 14 games, they lost seven games by seven points or less, indicating that they were more competitive than people gave them credit for.
The sportsbook odds makers have a tough time gauging how good they will be this season because of quarterback Matt Cassel. Cassel, who was nothing more than an anonymous backup to Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer in college - and then Tom Brady in New England - finally burst onto the scene after Brady’s season-ending injury. But does he improve the Chiefs odds? The question is whether or not Cassel was the product of a really good system in New England, or whether he is in fact a good player that will thrive anywhere. Considering mastermind Bill Belichick gave him up for just a second-round pick, don’t be surprised if it’s the former. If that’s the case, the Chiefs odds will be similar to last year when shoddy quarterbacking hindered the team in many late-game situations.
New head coach Todd Haley is known as a quarterbacks guru, so he’ll help Cassel as well as the offense. The Chiefs offense was a big surprise last year and managed to put up points regularly. Running back Larry Johnson was in and out of the lineup, but wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley proved to be respectable weapons while Brad Cottam was serviceable. The Chiefs offense will have to move on without Tony Gonzalez, who was the face of the franchise in recent seasons. Expect Dwayne Bowe to face a lot of attention this season.
Last season, the Chiefs creative spread offense caught a lot of teams off guard, but now they’ll have to go back to their balanced roots, which means Larry Johnson has to be a big factor. The NFL betting community knows that their defensive unit is a few bricks short of a load. Last year, they ranked 31st in yards allowed and points per game. They might not be much better this year as the defense switches schemes from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
The Chiefs odds should improve in the long run because the 3-4 is flavor of the moment and the more effective scheme nowadays, but the first year will be a year of transition. Players like Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson, who all fit the 4-3 scheme, now have to learn, understand and succeed in new roles in the 3-4. There will be some growing pains. But for the Chiefs odds this season, everything is contingent on Cassel. The Chiefs won’t be competing for the division crown or a playoff spot, but if Cassel is truly the answer at quarterback, then this team will have their most important building block for the future. If not, then the Chiefs are just another struggling NFL team looking for an identity.
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Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
