Chargers' Super Bowl 61 odds take a slight hit following first wave of free agency

While the Los Angeles Chargers took care of some important in-house business ahead of the official start of the legal tampering period for unrestricted free agents this past Monday, re-signing defensive tackle Teair Tart to a new three-year contract and bringing back elite edge rusher Khalil Mack on another one-year deal. They were also able to snag center Tyler Biadasz ahead of the big boom to replace the retired Bradley Bozeman, as the Washington Commanders didn't want to wait until the new league year began to release Biadasz.

Since said big boom began, however, the Bolts have been bashed a bit for not making any genuinely high-profile moves. It's not as if they haven't brought in any external help, as they've signed fullback Alec Ingold, blocking tight end Charlie Kolar, running back/kick returner Keaton Mitchell, offensive linemen Cole Strange, and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, while also bringing back several more of their own free agents. But given the ample salary cap space the Chargers had to work with, it's safe to say more was expected.

It's also important to note that Los Angeles lost some starters, most notably Odafe Oweh, who signed a four-year, $100 million deal with Washington, and Zion Johnson, who inked a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Cleveland Browns.

Now, when you look at what the Chargers did (or didn't do) as compared to some other teams across the league, one would naturally assume that their odds to win Super Bowl 61 took a big hit. And that is indeed the case. But the dip certainly isn't as big as most might think.

Chargers still rank in the top 10 of the Super Bowl 61 odds

Not long after the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, we took a look at the early odds for Super Bowl 61, which will be contested next Valentine's Day at none other than SoFi Stadium.

At that point in time, the Chargers were tied for the ninth-best odds alongside the rival Kansas City Chiefs at +1500.

Now, while the Bolts have fallen behind the Chiefs and seen their odds dip ever so slightly to +1700, they're still ranked inside the top 10, even bumping up a spot into a tie for eighth alongside the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.

As you can see, Los Angeles holds the fourth-best odds to represent the AFC at SoFi next February at +850, trailing only the usual suspects in the Baltimore Ravens (+450), the Buffalo Bills (+475), and the aforementioned Chiefs (+750).

While we didn't include the divisional breakdowns above, Kansas City is also favored to win the AFC West at +160, with the Chargers sitting in close second at +185. The defending division champion Denver Broncos are down in third at +230, while the Las Vegas Raiders are basically being given no shot at +2000.

All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.