In the past 30 years, it has been rare for a team to win consecutive major pro sports championships. It has even been more infrequent for that team to climb to the top for three straight seasons, a feat now called a “three-peat” in sporting circles.
The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls, as fans and Kansas sports betting customers will be aware. How many teams, across the traditional four major sports (NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB), have been in this situation over the past three decades? And how many succeeded? BetKansas.com set to find out.
Here are the 12 teams in those four leagues who have tried to three-peat since 1995, in chronological order, plus the current Chiefs:
Team, League | Record, win % | Postseason result |
1995-96 Houston Rockets (NBA) | 48-34 (.585) | Lost second round |
1997-98 Chicago Bulls (NBA) | 62-20 (.756) | Won Finals |
1998-99 Detroit Red Wings (NHL) | 43-32-7 (.524) | Lost second round |
1999 Denver Broncos (NFL) | 6-10 (.375) | Missed playoffs |
2000 New York Yankees (MLB) | 87-74 (.540) | Won World Series |
2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) | 58-24 (.707) | Won Finals |
2005 New England Patriots (NFL) | 10-6 (.625) | Lost Division Round |
2010-11 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) | 57-25 (.695) | Lost second round |
2013-14 Miami Heat (NBA) | 54-28 (.659) | Lost Finals |
2017-18 Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) | 47-29-6 (.588) | Lost second round |
2018-19 Golden State Warriors (NBA) | 57-25 (.695) | Lost Finals |
2021-22 Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) | 51-23-8 (.622) | Lost final |
2024 Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) | 15-2 (.882) | TBD |
Check with BetKansas.com for more sports analysis and the best Kansas sportsbook promo codes around.
The best news for the Chiefs heading into the NFL playoffs is that they have the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That means they have homefield advantage throughout – but more important, they have the first weekend off with a bye while six other AFC teams fight it out in the Wild Card round.
An examination of the past 12 teams across MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL seasons since 1995 shows that the Chiefs have the best winning percentage (.882) in the regular season of anyone in that situation. At 15-2, K.C. cruised through the 2024 regular season, albeit needing to win one close game after another.
The team’s odds have been strong all season and the numbers just before the playoffs are no different. Check our Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl odds to compare futures betting across various operators.
Until now, the best winning percentage by a team trying to three-peat was held by the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and company went 62-20, a .756 clip, on their way to a third consecutive NBA championship.
Since 1995, only those Bulls, the 2000 New York Yankees and the 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers have won a third consecutive in the traditional four major sports. Since then, three teams have gotten all the way back to the final in their three-peat bid but lost: The 2013-14 Miami Heat and 2018-19 Golden State Warriors in basketball and the 2021-22 Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL.
BetMGM Kansas Sportsbook had preseason odds of +500 on the Chiefs winning Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9 in New Orleans. Now Coach Andy Reid’s team has a +350 betting line, second favorite only behind the Detroit Lions (+275).
The Chiefs are trying to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls, but not the first to capture three consecutive NFL championships.
The Green Bay Packers’ run of dominance in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi included three straight NFL titles from 1965-67. In 1966 and ’67, the team went on to win the first two Super Bowls over the American Football League champions, before the merger between the leagues fully took hold in 1970. Small wonder the Super Bowl winner now receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
That copied the 1929-31 Packers, who won three straight NFL championships as well.
This time, there are Kansas sports betting apps to allow fans to get in on the action as the Chiefs look to join those old Packers teams as teams to accomplish the NFL’s most difficult feat.
USA Today photo by Josh Morgan
Author
Jim Tomlin edits and writes about sports, gambling and the intersection of those two industries. He has 30 years of experience with companies such as the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition. He now lends his expertise to BetKansas.com, among other sites.
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