The 2026 NFL season can’t come around fast enough for the Denver Broncos, whose Super Bowl bid ended in bitter disappointment at home to New England in the AFC Championship Game six months ago.
The Broncos have had a long time to brood over what went wrong in that game, and a few others in the regular season, as they prepare for one of the most intriguing divisional title defences.
They are one of three teams expected to vie for superiority in the AFC West, alongside the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chiefs are looking to bounce back from their worst campaign in a decade while the Chargers will aim to build on back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Jim Harbaugh.
Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Raiders can only hope that using the No.1 overall draft pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza pays some early dividends.
AFC West Division Winner Prediction
Denver Broncos to win the AFC West (+300)
The Broncos came agonizingly close to a Super Bowl berth last season but could not quite land the knockout blow they needed against the Patriots without their injured starting QB Bo Nix.
They demonstrated that they were all-in on chasing glory again when they traded their 2026 1st-round pick for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle this spring.
Waddle could be one of the final pieces of the jigsaw for a team with an elite defense and a solid running game when JK Dobbins is fit to take his place in the backfield.
Sean Payton is a proven winner and the head coach may still be regretting his call to go for it on 4th-and-1 in the red zone against the Patriots when there was a makeable field goal opportunity for a 10-0 lead.
He has now handed over those duties to new OC Davis Webb.
Meanwhile, Nix underwent two ankle procedures in the offseason to fix the issue that emerged during an epic 33-30 playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
He built on an impressive rookie campaign with a superb sophomore season in which he became known for ice-cool decision-making and clutch plays.
The Broncos boast one of the best offensive lines in the National Football League featuring multiple All-Pro and Pro-Bowl players, who have done a fantastic job of protecting Nix and paving ample rushing lanes for Denver's running backs.
Undoubtedly, their greatest strength is the pass rush with the Broncos coming off one of the greatest sack seasons by a team in NFL history.
This is what put them ahead of the Chiefs and it ought to keep them there with Kansas City still short of a few difference-makers on defense, having lost starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason.
Their failure to generate enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks in the fourth quarter of games meant they lost a bunch of close games to late comebacks last season.
The Chargers look ready to challenge again after earning playoff berths in each of the past two seasons.
Los Angeles hired the innovative Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator to spark its offense, but lost respected defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to Baltimore.
The AFC West used to be pretty straightforward, but the Broncos again look the most complete team heading into training camp.
Regular Season Wins - Las Vegas Raiders Under 5.5 (+110)
The Raiders enter 2026 in full rebuild mode after finishing 3–11 and at the bottom of the AFC West pile last season.
Klint Kubiak was an interesting head coach hire at the very end of the cycle, and he may be able to put some building blocks in place for future success, but it is unlikely to arrive quickly.
Mendoza isn’t expected to play right away, which is almost certainly a good thing with each of the last nine QBs to go first overall enduring fairly torrid losing seasons.
Kirk Cousins will have his work cut out keeping an offense that is largely devoid of talent on the field, while the defense could yet be shorn of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to a trade as many believe may happen in training camp.
Their ceiling appears low, and their floor is even lower. Under 5.5 wins is the logical play.
Kansas City Chiefs Under 3.5 Regular Season Divisional Wins (+120)
Chiefs Kingdom were in a state of shock last year as Andy Reid’s previously dominant team failed to mount a playoff challenge.
From a record of 5-4 at the bye week, the Chiefs lost seven of their last eight games to leave them with their worst record since going 2-14 the year before Reid arrived in Kansas City.
Their only divisional win came in a 31-0 blowout against the Raiders, who exacted some revenge on them in Week 17.
Improvement will be required on several fronts if they are to win more than half of their games against their rivals, two of whom are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Much will again rest on the shoulders and legs of Patrick Mahomes, who insists he will be good to go in Week 1 after rehabbing from last year’s season-ending ACL tear.
But the defensive front has not been getting it done and the offense still misses the spark Tyreek Hill used to provide.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
