This past Sunday, coming off a short week following a hard-fought 22-19 overtime victory against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Chargers knocked off the other team that appeared in last year's title game (and the two before that), that club, of course, being the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the 16-13 victory over their longtime rivals, the Bolts, who improved to 10-4 to maintain their position as the top wild-card team in the conference, not only completed the season sweep of the Chiefs for the first time in a dozen years but also officially eliminated Kansas City from postseason contention.
As such, there will obviously be a new representative from the AFC in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2021 campaign. And for the first time since the 2017 season, the AFC title game will not include Kansas City. Furthermore, with the Eagles, who've repped the NFC two of the last three years, not playing their best football right now, the race for the Lombardi Trophy is genuinely wide open for the first time in a long time.
As you can see with the latest Super Bowl 60 odds, however, NFL oddsmakers certainly aren't giving the Chargers much of a chance.
- Los Angeles Rams: +320
- Seattle Seahawks: +650
- Denver Broncos: +800
- Buffalo Bills: +800
- Houston Texans: +1100
- Philadelphia Eagles: +1200
- Green Bay Packers: +1500
- New England Patriots: +1500
- Jacksonville Jaguars: +1600
- San Francisco 49ers: +2200
- Baltimore Ravens: +2200
- Los Angeles Chargers: +2500
- Chicago Bears: +3000
- Detroit Lions: +3000
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +5500
- Pittsburgh Steelers: +7000
- Carolina Panthers: +25000
- Indianapolis Colts: +40000
- Dallas Cowboys: +100000
Chargers outright disrespected in Super Bowl 60 odds
Look, it's easy to understand why the Chargers are sitting behind certain teams. But the Ravens? Sure, Lamar Jackson missed a few games earlier in the year, but even when the two-time NFL MVP has been healthy, Baltimore has gone just 6-5.
And let's get real here; the Ravens may not even win the AFC North, as they've already lost to the Steelers, with the second matchup set for Week 18. But before that, they've got dates with the Patriots and Packers. If they run the table there, it'd be more understandable to see them above the Bolts. But right now? Absolutely not.
It's true the Bolts have their fair share of problems. But there aren't many teams that could deal with the loss of their top two offensive tackles (Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt) and top two running backs (Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton) and still have the success Los Angeles has had. Yes, Hampton is back now, but that only strengthens the argument. And despite all the struggles and turnover on the offensive line, Justin Herbert is still having a fantastic season.
Oddsmakers are obviously loving the Houston Texans, and one would assume that's because of their defense. But while Houston has surrendered the fewest total yards per game this season (269.2), Los Angeles is just behind in a tie for second (279.1) and also has the fifth-ranked scoring defense in the AFC, surrendering just 20.3 points per game.
Now, one could assume the Chargers' odds might be better if they were leading the AFC West. But that is still in play. Sure, they trail the Broncos by two games with three weeks to play. But they do still have their second matchup with Denver in Week 18. So, if the Bolts can take of their own business and get a little help from either the Jags or the Chiefs in the next two weeks, the division is still in play. And let's not forget that the Bolts were the last team to beat the Broncos.
But even if the Chargers don't win the division, they're a threat, certainly a much bigger threat than these Super Bowl 60 oddsmakers are giving them credit for.
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.