Are We Sleeping on the Kansas City Chiefs as NFL Super Bowl Contenders Entering Week 2?

Are We Sleeping on the Kansas City Chiefs as NFL Super Bowl Contenders Entering Week 2?

We are not even one-sixteenth of the way through the 2022 NFL season, and yet, somehow, the Kansas City Chiefs already seem like they're being slept on.

Indeed, people know the Patrick Mahomes-led crew will be good. But the latest betting odds to win the Super Bowl don't have them cataloged among the absolute favorites. That's a major snub, in our opinion. And that won't change. It doesn't matter whether you're reading this before they play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 or the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. We firmly believe they'll prove that they remain legitimate threats to win the Super Bowl in both of those games.

And as luck would have it, we are here to drop our predictions for Chiefs vs. Chargers in Week 2. We've also got our best NFL bets for the rest of the Week 2 docket. First, however, here are the latest betting odds on the NFL for every single game, courtesy of our friends at BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Cleveland Browns-200+168Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens-146+124New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills-255+210Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints-156+132Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs-260+215Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings-250+205Detroit Lions
Philadelphia Eagles-295+240Washington Commanders
Las Vegas Raiders-124+106Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears-138+118Houston Texans
Cincinnati Bengals-235+194New York Jets
Los Angeles Chargers-300+245Jacksonville Jaguars
Atlanta Falcons-120+102Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-116-102Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams-188+158Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers-124+106Denver Broncos
New York Giants-126+108Dallas Cowboys

Definitely make sure you're double-checking these NFL Week 2 betting odds prior to making or submitting your picks. We are making our Week 2 NFL picks before Week 1 unfolds, since BetOnline is kind enough to already have them. But linemakers will absolutely make changes to these NFL odds based on what happens during the opening week, so keep that in mind.

Are you one of the people who you need a place to bet on the NFL in Week 2? If so, do not hesitate to pore over our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. We've cobbled together all the information you will ever need to find the best NFL betting sites in 2022.

To the 2022 NFL picks machine!

Expect a Statement Win for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Bettors and oddsmakers clearly believe the Chargers are due for massive improvement. They might be right. But their defense isn't playoff-ready, and it will have to be at that level for a Week 2 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Although people pay most attention to the Chiefs' offense, they quietly turned themselves into disruptors on defense last year. They know how to force turnovers through the air, and the personnel populating their front seven this season suggests they'll be even better at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

We fully acknowledge this game could still turn into a shootout. Justin Herbert is that good under center for the Chargers. But led by Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are nothing if not built to win a high-octane showdown, if that's what actually becomes of this game.

Really, the conversation needs to shift. Kansas City shouldn't be discussed in terms of single games. They need to be talked about in the context of the bigger picture, and about how their Super Bowl stock is just as piping hot as those of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and others.

OSB Prediction: Kansas city Chiefs (-158)

Kansas City Chiefs To beat the Los Angeles Chargers
-158
BetOnline

Take a Chance on the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Las Vegas Raiders

Everyone seems down on the Cardinals entering the regular season, and we just don't understand why.

Yes, losing DeAndre Hopkins to suspension matters. But the Cardinals offense is not screwed without him. Kyler Murray is under center and remains one of the league's most dynamic young stars, and he still has plenty of weapons in Marquise Brown and AJ Green at his disposal.

Worrying about Arizona's defense is fair. They figure to struggle against quarterbacks who know how to sling it accurately down the field. But guess what? That quarterback isn't found on the Raiders.

Derek Carr does have Davante Adams to target nowadays, but Las Vegas' offense still looks underwhelming on paper.

OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (+108)

Arizona Cardinals To beat the Las Vegas Raiders
+108
BetOnline

Green Bay Packers Should be Able to Scoop Up an Easy Win Against the Chicago Bears

Certain games will be tough for the Packers to navigate this year. Their offense suffered a big blow when they lost Davante Adams to the Raiders.

On the bright side, these concerns shouldn't mean much in Week 2. Aaron Rodgers has churned out a top offense with limited weapons before, and Green Bay is facing a Bears team fully invested in an overarching rebuild and the development of Year 2 quarterback Justin Fields.

OSB Prediction: Green Bay Packers (-460)

Green Bay Packers To beat the Chicago Bears
-460
BetOnline

Are the Dallas Cowboys on Upset Watch When They Play the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2?

Even though the Bengals made the Super Bowl last season, we're not quite sure what to expect from them. The defense should remain elite, but will they have the offensive firepower around quarterback Joe Burrow needed to contend with AFC heavyweights like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs?

The answer to this question remains to be seen. Fortunately, the Bengals don't need to be on top of their offensive game against Dallas. We are forecasting serious regression for the Cowboys on defense. Cincinnati should be able to bust them up with a high-volume ground game.

OSB Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (+120)

Cincinnati Bengals To beat the Dallas Cowboys
+120
BetOnline

Go Ahead and Grab an Easy Win by Betting on the Los Angeles Rams to STEAMROLL the Atlanta Falcons

By trading Matt Ryan over the offseason and then failing to win the Russell Wilson or Deshuan Watson sweepstakes, the Falcons relayed to the rest of the NFL that they're undergoing a thorough rebuild. One look at their roster confirms as much. This team will be lucky to win five games on the year.

Incidentally, this comes as great news for the reigning champion Rams. They should be able to rest their starters for much of the fourth quarter in this Week 2 matchup.

Such is the benefit of facing teams that aren't actively trying to win.

OSB Prediction: Los Angeles Rams (-900)

Los Angeles Rams To beat the Atlanta Falcons
-900
BetOnline

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NFL betting during the 2022 season:

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan is a sports betting writer who can tackle any topic from presidential elections to changes in the sports betting legislation federally and on the state level. He also writes picks for NFL.