Bettors go all-in on Chiefs to earn 1st Super Bowl three-peat
Teams have won back-to-back Super Bowl titles only nine times in the 58-year history of the NFL championship game. But no one has won three straight.
The Steelers couldn’t do it during their 1970s dynasty. The 49ers couldn’t, either, in their 1980s heyday. Neither could the Cowboys in the 1990s or the Patriots in the 21st century.
Now the Chiefs are on the clock, and bettors are all-in on a Kansas City three-peat.
“Everyone is on the Chiefs,” MGM Resorts director of trading Lamarr Mitchell said.
Kansas City, the clear favorite to win the Super Bowl (best price +575 at Caesars Sportsbook), is the runaway ticket and money leader at BetMGM and Caesars to capture its fourth Lombardi Trophy in six years.
“The Chiefs are the new Patriots. You either love them or you hate them,” Caesars head of football Joey Feazel said. “Even in a down year last year, they ended up winning the Super Bowl. I think they’ve only strengthened since last year, so bettors are not taking their foot off the gas with the Chiefs.”
Two-time NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are back, as is coach Andy Reid, to lead an offense that should be bolstered by the addition of speedy rookie wideout Xavier Worthy. All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones returns to anchor a defense that was second in the league in scoring defense, allowing only 17.3 points per game.
“I think they’re a better team this year. They were not a great offense last year,” Caesars vice president of trading Craig Mucklow said. “It just shows that form is temporary, class is permanent, and Mahomes is class.”
Kansas City also is the ticket leader and one of the largest Super Bowl liabilities at the Westgate SuperBook.
“It’s hard to say they won’t be there at the end again with Mahomes, and it looks like they added more weapons on offense,” SuperBook director John Murray said. “Their defense is what really won them the Super Bowl last year. They were shut out by the Ravens in the second half, and they still won (the AFC title game). That shows you how great their defense played.”
A BetMGM bettor wagered $15,000 to win $82,500 on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl (+550), while a Caesars bettor wagered $8,000 to win $50,000 on Mahomes (+625) to win his third NFL MVP award.
“As long as they have No. 15 and they can keep him upright, their chances are as solid as anyone else,” Mitchell said. “They still have the MVP. Whether he wins it or not, he’s still the MVP, in my opinion.”
Chief challengers
The Chiefs’ chief challengers in the AFC are the Ravens (10-1 to win Super Bowl), Bengals (14-1) and Texans (14-1). Cincinnati is one of the Westgate’s biggest liabilities.
“The Bengals are the one team that’s shown they’re not afraid of Kansas City,” Murray said. “They beat them in the AFC championship three years ago, they almost beat them two years ago, and who knows what would’ve happened last season if (Bengals quarterback Joe) Burrow doesn’t get hurt.
“The one problem I have with betting on the Bengals is, let’s face it, Burrow is injury-prone. And that’s a really tough division. Baltimore was the best team in the AFC last year, and Pittsburgh and Cleveland made the playoffs. There’s not a lot of easy games in the AFC North.”
49ers looking shaky
The defending NFC champion 49ers are second in tickets and money at BetMGM and Caesars, while the Lions are third in tickets and money at both books. San Francisco (+625) and Detroit (10-1) also are in the top three in tickets at Station Casinos and the SuperBook, where the Lions are one of the largest liabilities.
“The Lions are exactly the kind of team I’d normally want to go against because they overachieved last season. Normally, I’d expect a team like that to take a step back,” Murray said. “But look around that conference. The 49ers had a disastrous offseason, with all these guys that were injured or holding out, and they’ve got the Super Bowl hangover. They’re a team a lot of sharp guys are betting against.
“Philadelphia ended the season so poorly last year, getting blown out by the Buccaneers in the playoff game and falling apart. Dallas got crushed by Green Bay in that wild-card game at home. The Lions look like they’re the most stable team in the NFC right now.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.