The Chiefs have lost their stranglehold atop the AFC in Vegas sports books

Even after its first loss of the season Sunday night at New England, Kansas City owns the best record in the AFC.

But the Chiefs are no longer the odds-on favorites to win the conference. At least not according to the oddsmakers in Las Vegas.

The sports books have moved the Patriots back to their familiar spot at the top of the pecking order in the AFC. They are listed at 5-to-2 to represent the conference in the Super Bowl, per Bovada. The Chiefs dropped to second at 11-to-4. That’s still a vast improvement from where Kansas City opened the season, which was at 14-to-1.

And if it’s any additional consolation, the Chiefs are a heavy favorite to bounce back this week. They are favored by a touchdown against visiting Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in their second consecutive national TV game Sunday night. That should carry a special significance given the way the 2017 schedule unfolded. After starting 5-0, the Chiefs lost six of their next seven games.

Not this time, say the oddsmakers.

The 7-point line is a big one in football terms. It’s the third-largest line in the NFL this week. Only the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams are bigger favorites.

The historical consequence of the line works in the Chiefs favor, too. Well, or it works against Cincinnati anyway. In the past three years, the Bengals have not won a road game when they were a 3 to 7-point underdog, per ScoresAndOdds.com.

The over/under for the game Sunday is 58 1/2 points. That’s five more points than any other matchup in the league. Four of the six games involving the Chiefs this season have hit the over.

The Chiefs are 5-1 against the spread this season — they actually covered against the Patriots, losing by three points when the line sat at 3 1/2 points.

Sam McDowell

Sam McDowell covers Sporting Kansas City, the Royals, Chiefs and sports enterprise for The Star