Chiefs betting odds: 5 things that stand out from early sportsbook lines

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With that in mind, here are five interesting betting numbers that caught my eye related to the Kansas City Chiefs. DraftKings goes a step further than most sportsbooks in mid-May, releasing betting odds for every game. That information only confirms our first-blush thoughts on the Chiefs’ schedule: Though it includes a difficult stretch late, it’s a lot more manageable early. The Chiefs, in fact, are currently betting favorites for each of their first five games. Add in a Week 5 bye week, and that means that K.C. isn’t projected to be an underdog until an Oct. 25 “Sunday Night Football” game at Seattle — a date that falls in the same calendar week as Halloween. DraftKings has the Seahawks as 3-point favorites in that game. I was expecting to see Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones as the team’s top player for Defensive Player of the Year odds at DraftKings. But perhaps a bit unexpected was that he was tied with a D-line peer: defensive end George Karlaftis. Each player was tied for the 29th-best ranking at DraftKings to win the award at +7500 (that means a $100 bet would earn your $100 back, plus an additional $7,500). This might speak to some of what we’ve discussed this offseason, though, about Karlaftis being a prime bounce-back candidate. Entering his fifth NFL season, Karlaftis only turned 25 last month, and he also played through a thumb injury last season that appeared to hamper his performance. Even battling through that, he finished 18th in pressure rate among 102 qualified rushers, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, with that measure considered a more reliable year-to-year stat than sacks. FanDuel, meanwhile, sees Jones as the Chiefs’ best bet to win DPOY (+20000) and ranks Karlaftis third (+25000). Interestingly, the site is high on linebacker Nick Bolton, who is +22500 to take down the NFL’s top defensive honor. DraftKings is prepared to take action from Travis Kelce fans, putting up a pair of estimated totals for the Chiefs tight end. The site has set Kelce’s over-under receiving yards total at 699.5. That means bettors can choose either side, picking whether they think Kelce will exceed or fall short of that benchmark. It’s a lower number than Kelce is used to. In his 12 seasons as a starter, Kelce’s worst receiving total was 823 yards in 2024. That year also could include an asterisk, as Kelce sat out the Chiefs’ regular-season finale to rest for the playoffs. Then again, if Kelce reaches 699 receiving yards next season, he’ll also find himself in rare company during his age-37 campaign. Only one other NFL tight end has surpassed 530 receiving yards in an age-37 season: Atlanta Falcons star Tony Gonzalez, who went for 859 yards in 2013. DraftKings also set Kelce’s over-under total for touchdowns at 4.5. Kelce has had five, three and five receiving TDs in his last three seasons. Getting to five TDs, though, would be another impressive feat. Outside of Gonzalez’s eight receiving touchdowns in 2013, no other 37-year-old tight end has had more than four in NFL history. If things go as planned, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will add a new plaque to his trophy case after the 2026 season. Mahomes overwhelmingly has the best odds of anyone to win Comeback Player of the Year, which he’s a candidate for after suffering a season-ending knee injury in December. Mahomes, via DraftKings, is at +160 to earn the honor, well ahead of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray, who is second at +600. FanDuel tells a similar story. Mahomes is at +150 there, followed by Murray at +550. No other candidate listed has better than 10-1 odds. I can’t say I was expecting to see seventh-round quarterback Garrett Nussmeier showing up so high on DraftKings’ rankings for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nussmeier, the Chiefs’ third QB behind Mahomes and Justin Fields, is tied for 39th at +12000 odds to win the award. That’s ahead of some guys I figured would easily be ahead of him, like Jacksonville Jaguars second-round tight end Nate Boerkircher. Honestly, Nussmeier’s path to the field in 2026 seems like a long shot on its own; Mahomes would have to be injured, and then Fields would need to be hurt or ineffective just for the rookie to get a shot. The Chiefs’ most likely candidate for OROY? Fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson, who’s tied for 17th at +6000. FanDuel goes even deeper into the weeds for Chiefs offensive rookies if we want to wade there. Johnson (+7500) and Nussmeier (+20000) are on the board to be bet on, along with fifth-round receiver Cyrus Allen (+17500). Beyond that, though? FanDuel also lists three Chiefs undrafted free agents as eligible wagers for that top rookie honor. Running back Jaydn Ott and receiver Jeff Caldwell have the same placement as Allen (+17500), and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg is also available with +20000 odds. If your crystal ball leads you to any of those bets, then you deserve all the money that comes your way. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms