Kansas City Chiefs 2026 NFL Season Preview, Betting Markets, Odds, Picks & Predictions
The Kansas City Chiefs were in highly uncharted waters last season in terms of the storied franchise’s recent history, finishing the season with a 6-11 mark and a six-game losing streak. The non-playoff season was KC’s first since 2014, and the nightmarish 2025 campaign also saw Patrick Mahomes suffer the first season-ending injury of his career when he tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 against the Chargers. Mahomes unsurprisingly attacked his rehab furiously with full intention of being ready for Week 1, and heading into a training camp that he’s already been fully cleared for, it appears the future Hall of Fame QB may have actually underestimated himself.
Mahomes will have legendary battery mate Travis Kelce back for at least one more season, and he’ll also continue throwing to the dynamic receiver tandem of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. KC will also hope it found something in one-time Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, who showed flashes during his 2025 Chiefs debut campaign, and are also counting on a much better second season from 2025 fourth-round pick Jalen Royals. Meanwhile, the running game got a major boost with the signing of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who replaces Isiah Pacheco and gives Mahomes a true No. 1 back to keep defenses off balance.
The biggest question for KC’s Steve Spagnuolo-coordinated defense is in the secondary, which lost both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. The Chiefs are replacing the standout duo with the returning L’Jarius Sneed and rookie sixth overall pick Mansoor Delane. Kansas City will also look to former Dolphins corner Kader Kohou, who missed all of last season with a partially torn ACL to hold down slot-corner duties, and the plethora of uncertainty on the back end of the defense could prove costly if there’s an acclimation period for the collection of new personnel.
2026 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Odds
The Chiefs have been Super Bowl contenders for so long at this point, that as long as Mahomes is healthy, both oddsmakers and the betting public place them in the upper echelon of the league. That honor is well deserved given the team’s track record, but heading into season, there’s some restraint being shown in this market. KC is behind the Rams, Bills, Ravens, Seahawks, Eagles and Patriots, as this iteration of the Chiefs has more questions than prior seasons. Mahomes’ health is certainly one despite the fact he’s back to practicing fully, and the secondary is another. There’s also the matter of the depth of the receiver depth chart beyond Rice and Worthy, and whether Travis Kelce makes it through another season unscathed. However, there’s enough value in the odds for a team with a presumably healthy Mahomes at the helm to narrowly make this a bet worth pursuing.
Bet: Yes
2026 Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship Odds
The Chiefs present as some solid value in this market as well, sporting the fourth-shortest odds on the leaderboard. While I disagree with KC being slotted ahead of the Chargers, Texans and Broncos, that doesn’t equate to the bet being a poor value since the price would still yield a handsome return if the ticket cashes. Some of the other top teams in the conference have more depth at certain spots, but it’s certainly conceivable that Mahomes and Walker doing enough heavy lifting to vault this squad to yet another Super Bowl appearance.
Bet: Yes
2026 Kansas City Chiefs AFC West Odds
This market is one that stands out as it relates to the Chiefs. KC is carrying the shortest odds in the market, a slotting I don’t agree with. As mentioned in their team preview, the reigning division champion Broncos are surprisingly third, leaving the Chargers as the runner-up. The question of whether this is a bet worth pursuing is thus an interesting one. On the one hand, if we believe it’s at least possible for the Chiefs to take the conference or even another Super Bowl title, then the division is naturally a very attainable threshold. Yet, the value here isn’t what it is on those other two bets, taking some of the shine away. Ultimately, we’ll go with a Yes here because the bet has a reasonable chance of cashing.
Bet: Yes
2026 Kansas City Chiefs Win Total Odds
This is the trickiest bet of the bunch when it comes to the Chiefs. The bar is set high at 10.5 wins, and there’s legitimate question of whether KC perhaps finishes on the hook here, which would still represent a net improvement of four wins over last season. The Chiefs’ schedule is a true mixed bag, as some potential non-division layups against the likes of the Dolphins, Jets and Cardinals are offset by games versus the Colts, Seahawks, Bills (road), Rams (road), Bengals (road) and 49ers. Then there’s naturally the division schedule, which does offer up the Raiders twice but also involves the four games against the Broncos and Chargers. It’s too close to call here, and I’d therefore stay away.
Bet: No
2026 Kansas City Chiefs To Make The Playoffs Odds
We can keep this one simple. If Mahomes, Walker and Kelce remain healthy, there’s a very strong chance the Chiefs make the postseason, even if I think that’s likelier as a wild-card team than a division winner. I personally see a 10-7 or 11-6 mark for KC, and I think they’ll be able to sneak into the tournament with that record. With that said, the value is too expensive so feel free to search other futures markets.
Bet: No
2026 Kansas City Chiefs MVP Award Odds & Contenders
- Patrick Mahomes
- Kenneth Walker III
- Rashee Rice
Much like the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and AFC Conference Winner markets, Mahomes is a bit further down the board here than we’re used to, which makes him a very intriguing value. Mahomes’ knee may not truly be 100 percent until the latter portion of the season, but we know he’s capable of providing MVP-caliber numbers even when playing somewhat hurt. The two-time regular-season MVP naturally also carries a ton of weight with voters for the award, and if he’s able to lead the Chiefs deep into the postseason at minimum after last year’s debacle, he could certainly add another trophy to the mantle.
Walker has five-digit odds, wholly unsurprising given both his position and the fact he’s a player who’s barely put together two 1,000-yard seasons over his first four years in the league. The offseason addition could naturally put together his best season yet while playing with Mahomes in an Andy Reid/Eric Bieniemy offense, but he’d have to get into the Bijan Robinson/Jahmyr Gibbs stratosphere of total scrimmage yards to receiver serious MVP consideration.
Rice’s one non-injury/suspension-shortened season among his first three in the NFL came in his 2023 rookie campaign, when he produced an impressive 79-938-7 line across 16 regular-season games. There’s not yet any proof of concept for what Rice could do with that many games as a more experienced receiver, but given his talent and his quarterback, it’s conceivable a 1,300-to-1,400-yard season at a minimum is within the range of outcomes if he doesn’t get hit with a ban due to his probation violation this offseason. Nevertheless, a receiver presumably would need to post a 100+ catch, 1,500+yard tally and double-digit touchdowns to merit serious consideration, which is naturally a longshot.
Bet: Patrick Mahomes
2026 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule
- Week 1 – vs. Denver, 8:15 p.m. (MNF) – ESPN
- Week 2 – vs. Indianapolis, 8:20 p.m. (SNF) – NBC
- Week 3 – at Miami, 1:00 p.m. – CBS
- Week 4 – at Las Vegas, 4:25 p.m. – CBS
- Week 5 – BYE
- Week 6 – vs. LA Chargers, 4:25 p.m. – CBS
- Week 7 – at Seattle, 8:20 p.m. (SNF) – NBC
- Week 8 – at Denver, 4:25 p.m. – CBS
- Week 9 – vs. NY Jets, 1:00 p.m. – CBS
- Week 10 – at Atlanta, 1:00 p.m. – CBS
- Week 11 – vs. Arizona, 1:00 p.m. – CBS
- Week 12 – at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. (SNF) – NBC
- Week 13 – at LA Rams, 8:15 p.m. (TNF) – APVO
- Week 14 – at Cincinnati, 4:25 p.m. – FOX
- Week 15 – vs. New England, 8:15 p.m. – ESPN
- Week 16 – vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. – CBS
- Week 17 – at LA Chargers, TBD
- Week 18 – vs. Las Vegas, TBD
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