NFL 2023/24 Season Preview: Can Chiefs defend Super Bowl title?

• Chiefs are 6/17.00 to be 8th back-to-back Super Bowl champs

• Value picks for NFC and AFC titles

• NFL...Only Bettor out every Wednesday during season

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The new NFL season is almost here as 32 teams once again start off on the road to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas next February - with the big question being who can stop the Kansas City Chiefs this year?

As always in the NFL even when there's no action on the field there's plenty off it, and with Aaron Rodgers making his huge move to New York, some big-name rookies set to make a splash and a number of teams looking to bounce back, it should be another thrilling campaign.

So let's look at who can lift that Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas - can anyone stop the Chiefs? Are the Eagles nailed-on to win the NFC? And are there any value teams who could upset the favourites and pinch a division title?

Let's find out....

Is Chiefs Kingdom the new dynasty?

We're really getting into dynasty territory with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, who collected his second ring in February in the team's third trip to the Super Bowl in four years, and who return as 6/17.00 Super Bowl favourites.

Kansas City have hosted the AFC Championship in five straight years and Mahomes now has two MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs all before he turns 28 this September - and as long as he's around the Chiefs will always be contenders, he's that good.

Becoming just the eighth team to win back-to-back titles, and the first since the Patriots in 2005, is the next step to becoming a dynasty but as the record shows it's just not that easy to dominate in the NFL.

And with seven of the top 10 in the betting in the AFC the Chiefs are in the harder Conference with the far more talented group of quarterbacks to try and pull that off.

Josh Allen's Bills are 9/110.00 and Joe Burrow's Bengals 10/111.00 and they'll both be there at the sharp end, while 8/19.00 shots Philadelphia again look to have the best roster in the NFL.

But there just seems to be something special about KC, who are worthy favourites and are still the team to beat.

Repeat performances?

The Super Bowl, and NFL in general is designed not to have teams dominate, which is why winning back-to-back titles is rare and having the same two teams meet in successive years is even rarer.

Only once has the Super Bowl match-up been repeated the next year, with the Cowboys beating the Bills in both 1993 and 1994, which means even with two strong teams like these it's 18/119.00 for the Chiefs and Eagles to clash in Vegas in February.

Philly are also going up against some serious history as only three teams have ever lost a Super Bowl and come right back the next year to win it - and they're three legendary sides as well.

Roger Staubach's 1971 Cowboys did it before the historic 1972 Dolphins picthed their perfect season to do it the very next year.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's 2018 Patriots are the only other team to manager it so if Jalen Hurts and his team lift the Lombardi Trophy they'll be joining some group.

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Is the NFC just a two-horse race?

The Eagles are 3/1 to win the NFC Championship with the best roster and fewer question marks, with the San Francisco 49ers their nearest challengers at 7/24.50.

The Niners gave it a great shot last year considering their quarterback problems. If Brock Purdy can stay fit he needs to prove he is no flash in the pan, and after challenging the last few years despite their QB mess imagine what they can do with a regular starter?

You can never trust the Cowboys even with their talent, and head coach Mike McCarthy now calling plays only makes it more likely they'll find a way to shoot themselves in the foot.

Dallas are 6/17.00 for the NFC title, they've got a top defence, solid offensive line and top tier QB in Dak Prescott so will be there or thereabouts - but need to show they won't find a way to beat themselves when the pressure's on.

With the NFC lighter in quality than the AFC, a few dark horses have more of a chance - Detroit will continue to improve, Minnesota will win games and watch out for the Saints too.

But the two I like are the Seattle Seahawks at 12/113.00 and New York Giants at 20/121.00 to be NFC champions.

Geno Smith had the Hawks ninth in points per game and total yards per game last year and they've drafted nicely to pep up both offense and defense - bringin back Bobby Wagner. They'll also have four pretty comfortable divisional games agains the Cards and Rams.

Brian Daboll won Coach of the Year with the Giants last year as they made the play-offs and although their schedule's much tougher this time around, they had a toughness about them last time that was impressive.

QB Daniel Jones has a new contract, a new tight end in Darren Waller and Saquon Barkley remains and will be running angry. This could go either way really but I Daboll gets them back to the play-offs at least.

AFC still loaded

The AFC was already loaded even before Aaron Rodgers join the Jets and they went about loading up to give him every chance at winning a second Super Bowl.

They're in a tough division with the Bills and Dolphins though so although many will be tempted at the 10/111.00 for them to win the AFC they're not quite big enough to take as value outsiders.

There's so much quality here, especially at the QB position, which is where it all boils down to - Tua Tagovailoa's health is a problem for Miami, while Josh Allen's play-off display against the Dolphins last season was a worry.

I think he'll get over that and 4/15.00 on the Bills to win the AFC is a pretty tempting price. It'll come down to the Chiefs/Bills/Bengals rivalry again and I'm backing one of them for the Super Bowl (more later), but for the AFC they're pretty short considering they've proven any one can beat the other on any given Sunday.

So at bigger prices....Lamar Jackson has the best set of weapons of his career so Baltimore will be a danger and even the 14/115.00 Jaguars gave the Chiefs all they could handle at Arrowhead - and Trevor Lawrence will only improve from more time learning from the excellent Doug Pederson.

But our mid-range pick is the Los Angeles Chargers, who battered the Jags to lead 27-0 before somehow losing in the play-offs. They'll have players back from injury, have a new man calling the offensive plays and still have a team loaded with talent.

They're a bit like the Cowboys in finding ways to lose at times, and they've successive years of heartbreaking finishes, but if Justin Herbert and company can leanr those lessons they could upset a few of the bigger guns.

And a team I don't think you should ignore at the prices is the Pittsburgh Steelers coming in as 20/121.00 shots - mainly due to being in the super tough AFC North.

Further Hall of Fame coach Mike Tomlin is a genius though and I expect QB Kenny Pickett to make a big leap after a brilliant finish to last season - which went largely unnoticed as they were already out of the playoff picture.

Best bets for Super Bowl winner

It's a tough one this year, all the favourites look to have improved while there's a host of teams coming up on the rails who could surprise a few people.

I really like the Chargers, Steelers and Jaguars this year, and if they were in the NFC they'd be a value pick, but having to take care of the Chiefs, Bengals and Bills still looks just beyond them.

And while the NFC looks easier I think whoever arrives from this titanic AFC struggle will win the Super Bowl. All three have cases, but I'm backing a rare reapeat winner in the Kansas City Chiefs.

Look, there's nothing between the top AFC dogs, but Mahomes could just be the best we've ever seen, is in his prime and cites Tom Brady's quest to win and win and win as a mtoivating factor.

Head coach Andy Reid is a magician, who averages almost 12 regular season wins a year in a decade with the Chiefs - who have win their division seven years straight.

They'll pile up the points as usual, but they've drafted well defensively too. They're just built for sustained success and they'll be desperate to go back-to-back. I think we're witnessing a dynasty in progress.

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