The Kansas City Chiefs could make history in this upcoming NFL season. No franchise has ever won three Super Bowls in a row, but Patrick Mahomes and company could accomplish that feat next February.
But first things first. The two-time defending champions need to make the playoffs, and once again, the Chiefs will have to do it while facing a demanding schedule, which the NFL released on Wednesday.
In preparation for the upcoming season and thinking with our Kansas sports betting mindset, BetKansas evaluated the Chiefs’ 17-game schedule to determine when the team will face its most brutal three-game stretch. We identified this using the following point system.
1 pt – Divisional Opponent
1 pt – Road Game
1 pt – Primetime Game (TNF, SNF, MNF)
2 pts – Short Week
2 pts – Team #11-20 on ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings
3 pts – Team #1-10 on ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings
Hardest Stretch of Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 Regular Season
Week | Opponent | Points |
|---|---|---|
1 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 4 |
2 | vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 3 |
3 | at Atlanta Falcons | 4 |
Tough Stretch Starts At Home
If you’re trying to win three straight Super Bowls, why not start your regular season with three very challenging games, right?
Let’s start with the season opener, which happens to be a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game. The Ravens and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson will provide a stern test for the Chiefs, who lost their season opener last season to the Detroit Lions in primetime.
Like the Chiefs, the Ravens are expected to compete for the Super Bowl again this season. Caesars Sportsbook Kansas lists Kansas City as the favorite on its futures board with odds of +575, but the Ravens are the third choice at +900.
The Bengals, Again
For the fourth straight season, the Chiefs will face the Bengals in what has become a budding rivalry. They’ve played five times since January 2022, including twice in AFC Championship games. The Bengals have won three, but Kansas City has won the last two. All five have been decided by a touchdown or less.
This will be a big game for the Bengals, who missed the playoffs last season thanks to injuries to Joe Burrow and DJ Reader. But they still finished with a winning record, and oddsmakers are again expecting the Bengals to be one of the top teams in the NFL. The Chiefs will benefit not only from playing at home but also from having three extra days to prepare, thanks to the Baltimore game being on a Thursday night in Week 1.
The Bengals and Ravens are expected to compete for the AFC North title this season, and BetMGM Kansas has set the Bengals Super Bowl odds at +1400, making them one of three teams that are the co-fifth choice.
Trap Game In Atlanta?
Compared to the Ravens and Bengals, the Week 3 Sunday night game against the Falcons appears initially to be an easier contest. Atlanta has not won more than seven games in a season since its last playoff appearance in the 2017 season. That’s why the Falcons brought in Kirk Cousins to play quarterback and hopefully give them a leg up in a mediocre NFC South.
Don’t underestimate what this game will mean for Atlanta. The Falcons did not get a primetime game at all last season, and the last time the Dirty Birds hosted a Sunday or Monday night game was Sept. 15, 2019, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 on a Sunday night.
FanDuel Kansas sportsbook lists the Falcons at +2400 to win the Super Bowl this season, and they’re also the favorite to win their division with odds of -120.
