The NFL landscape was impacted in several ways Thursday night when reigning league MVP and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left his team's game against the Denver Broncos after suffering a knee injury on a QB sneak in the first quarter.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported that Mahomes, as of Friday morning, is expected to be out "at least three weeks." The star quarterback will undergo an MRI to determine if there's any ligament damage in his right knee.
Mahomes' injury has had an immediate impact on the updated odds to win Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs were +800 or +850 to win the Super Bowl at several sportsbooks entering Week 7, but after this injury setback, Kansas City is now +1000 at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.
Here are the latest odds:
The New England Patriots have been the favorites for most of the 2019 season, and they certainly benefit from a weakened Chiefs squad.
The defending Super Bowl champs are the lone unbeaten team in the AFC at 6-0, and they entered Week 7 with a two-game lead over both the Chiefs and Houston Texans for the top seed in the conference. If Mahomes is out for the rest of the season, the Patriots obviously would be overwhelming favorites to return to the Super Bowl for a fourth consecutive season. The Chiefs, at least so far, have been the only real threat to the Patriots in the AFC this season. The Texans are a quality team as well, but Houston has yet to prove it can win in the playoffs (1-3 record since 2015, and the only win was against a backup QB).
New England Patriots
The Seahawks continue to be a good value bet at 18-1 odds despite having a 5-1 record and the betting favorite to win MVP in quarterback Russell Wilson. The New Orleans Saints are the favorites in the NFC after going 4-0 since Teddy Bridgewater took over for injured quarterback Drew Brees in Week 2.
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