For the past half-decade, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the most dominant team in all the American Football Conference. As expected, the defending Super Bowl champions enter the 2023 NFL season as favorites to win it all again. This begs the question: which other teams are actual threats to the Chiefs’ enduring command of the gridiron?

Nitrobetting is here to take your bets into the end zone this 2023 NFL season. This time, let’s break down several teams seen as favorites, sleepers, and long shots to win the 2023 AFC Championship Game and their corresponding NFL odds of representing the conference in Super Bowl LVIII.

2023 AFC Championship Futures Odds Update

We can't wait for this one.

The @Bengals and @Chiefs will meet in an AFC Championship rematch on @CBS and @Paramountplus on December 31st. pic.twitter.com/SwVVNAPSVl

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) May 10, 2023

Favorites

Kansas City Chiefs

With five straight trips to the AFC Championship Game and three wins in those five trips, it’s no surprise that the Chiefs are the odds-on favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVIII. At just 27 years of age, Patrick Mahomes has built a strong case as the greatest football player of all time. Many doubted Mahomes could sustain this success with top wideout Tyreek Hill leaving for Miami in the 2022 offseason, But alas, here we are with Kansas City back on top of the NFL mountain. Until proven otherwise, Mahomes and Co. will remain the clear favorites to win the AFC on a yearly basis.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have made it to the AFC Championship in back-to-back seasons now and have positioned themselves as the Chiefs’ main rival in the postseason. The pairing of former LSU teammates Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase has proved to be as lethal as the Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce connection in KC, and the Bengals did beat the Chiefs for the AFC title just a couple of years ago. A case could be made for the Buffalo Bills (also at +500 to win the AFC) or the now Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets (+800) to be co-favorites to win the conference, but Burrow and the Bengals have the consistency and the right pieces in place to finally bring home the Lombardi Trophy to Cincy.

Dark Horses

Miami Dolphins

We mentioned the Jets earlier as a trendy favorite to win the AFC title after the blockbuster deal for Rodgers. However, it would be a shame to forget about Miami’s superb run in 2022 as the team relatively lived up to its lofty expectations. The triple-threat aerial attack of Tua Tagovailoa slinging deep passes to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle was a marvel to behold, giving the Dolphins their best chance at the Lombardi in decades. Injuries to Tagovailoa and Hill have limited the Fins’ potential, but they are still a fascinating sleeper pick to at least win the AFC title in 2023.

Denver Broncos

Former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson had a debut in Denver that he’d rather forget. In turn, John Elway and Broncos management made a splashy move in the offseason by hiring head coach Sean Payton out of retirement. The new Payton regime has gotten glowing reviews thus far, mainly from this year’s NFL Draft as Denver looks to build a title-contending team anew. There are solid pieces in place already for Wilson to bounce back from his nightmare of a first year in Mile High. Although, being in the same division as the Chiefs puts a cap on the Broncos as mere sleepers to win the AFC title game, let alone the AFC West.

Huge Reach

Houston Texans

There are a lot of questions surrounding the AFC South in 2023 to make this group wide open for anyone’s taking. And yet, the Texans are still widely considered as the worst team in the conference. Drafting Ohio State standout C.J. Stroud is a huge boon for Houston, who is still reeling from the team’s implosion from the lost Deshaun Watson era. However, the Texans still have a lot of holes that need to be filled (especially on defense) before we can consider them as contenders for a division title at a minimum. In turn, Houston has the longest odds to win the AFC title this upcoming season and should be treated like any other long shot; as a bet only reserved for the brave and faithful.

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*All stated odds are subject to change without prior notice.

READ MORE: 2023 NFC Championship Odds Update (May 11th)