Here’s how Kareem Hunt’s release affects the Chiefs’ Super Bowl odds

Kareem Hunt played a major role in the league’s top-scoring offense. He tallied 1,202 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns in just 11 games.

So his stunning release from the Chiefs late Friday — after a video surfaced earlier in the day showing him shoving and kicking a woman in a hotel — will certainly have at least some sort of effect on the field.

How significant of one?

That will come to be known over the next several weeks, as the Chiefs turn to Spencer Ware atop their depth chart. Ware has just 124 rushing yards this season, which is actually second among running backs on the team behind Hunt.

But if you’re looking for some assurance the Chiefs can survive the loss of its second-year running back, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas have provided some.

The Chiefs’ odds to win the Super Bowl only slightly worsened early Saturday, a day after the news of Hunt’s release. Before the transaction, the Chiefs stood at 5-1 (+500) to win the Super Bowl, per BetDSI. After the release, their odds moved to 11-2 (+550). In the realm of championship odds, that’s a mere blip in movement.

The Chiefs are still considered the favorite in the AFC, according to the website. They sit behind only the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl standings.

“Kareem Hunt is extremely talented, and the Chiefs offense will certainly miss him, but his loss doesn’t significantly diminish the team’s chances of winning now and in the playoffs,” said Scott Cooley, a spokesperson for BetDSI. “Spencer Ware is a very capable replacement, and KC’s offensive efficiency is more predicated on the play of Patrick Mahomes and the mind of Andy Reid.”

The Chiefs were listed as a 14-point favorite against the Raiders. That line did not change after Hunt’s departure.

The Vegas website also put a line on Hunt’s future, allowing betters to predict whether Hunt will one day return to the NFL. The line forecasts a slightly better chance (60 percent) that he indeed plays at least one more snap in the league.