Sportsbook Insiders: Have the Chiefs Reached their Peak Level Again? Oddsmakers Aren't Sold Yet

One of the biggest questions heading into this season was whether or not the Kansas City Chiefs would be able to prove that last season was only a down year, a blip on the radar, of the Patrick Mahomes era.

If you don't remember, after making it to three straight Super Bowls and winning nine straight AFC West titles, the Chiefs went just 6-11 last season, which ended with a Patrick Mahomes knee injury that kept him out of the final handful of games. Some people believed it was a sign that the Chiefs' dynasty was finally over, while others thought it was simply a season where everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.

They've passed every test with flying colors through the first four weeks of the 2026 season, and now enter Week 5 as the only remaining undefeated team left in the AFC.

With that being said, a four-game sample size may not be enough to convince the betting market that we should start treating them as Super Bowl contenders again. To find out how bettors and oddsmakers are evaluating the Chiefs' start to the season, I reached out to several sportsbooks to get their thoughts, and we got some varying results.

Christian Cipollini, a Senior Trading Manager at BetMGM Sportsbook, isn't quite sold on the Chiefs so far.

"No, they are not rated as highly, but they are also a very different team right now versus those previous teams."

They certainly aren't the same team this year. Patrick Mahomes doesn't attack teams through the air quite like he used to and their defense isn't as menacing, but they do seemingly have the most effective running game they've had in the Mahomes era with last season's Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, now in their backfield.

Joey Feazel, the Head of Football at Caesars Sportsbook, echoed that same sentiment, stating that it's their running game that's the reason why Caesars is rating the Chiefs as the Super Bowl contender they once were.

“The Kansas City Chiefs are being rated like the dominant team of the past, but for different reasons this time around. It really does seem that Kenneth Walker has elevated this team back to their former greatness.”

At the end of the day, four games are a small sample size to draw from, and we'll learn more about this team as they face strong opponents in the weeks to come. For now, Jonny Avello, Director of Race and Sports Operations for DraftKings Sportsbook, is still rating a few teams above Kansas City.

"Chiefs are certainly in play this year but rated lower than in the past. There are still a few teams this season rated higher".

The Chiefs are enjoying their BYE in Week 5, but will have a true measuring stick game when they head to Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week 7.

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