Patrick Mahomes is the consensus favorite to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, with Lamar Jackson trailing behind his ankles in betting.
1 Related
At the Caesars Sportsbook, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes is a 4-to-1 favorite to win what would be his second MVP award in the past three years. Jackson, of the Baltimore Ravens and MVP last season, is a 13-2 favorite to take the award again in 2020.
RELATED
Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, is in third place in the betting with 9 to 1, followed by Russell Wilson, of the Seattle Seahawks, with 12 to 1.
The bet for Christian McCaffrey, a running back for the Carolina Panthers, is 40 to 1, having the shortest odds for a player who is not a quarterback. Eleven passers are less likely than McCaffrey, including Tom Brady, new quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16-1), Kyler Murray (16-1) for the Arizona Cardinals, Drew Brees (20-1) for the New Orleans Saints and Aaron Rodgers (25-1) of the Green Bay Packers.
The last player to win the award without being a quarterback was then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012. Overall, 16 runners have won the MVP compared to 42 passers. No recipient has won the award.
“This award is very, very, and hard to win for someone who doesn’t play quarterback or running back,” said Jeff Davis, chief risk officer for the Caesars Sportsbook. “If a receiver has a great year, they usually give it to the quarterback. Because of the way the league has leaned toward passing game and being a quarterback-focused league, for a running back to win the award, it would take a Herculian effort. ”
The NFL has had several unlikely MVP winners over the past few years with four of the last having odds of less than 30 to 1 each, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Last year, Jackson won the award after going 40-to-1 in preseason betting and Mahomes was 35-to-1 at the start of the 2018 season.
Jarrett Stidham, who is shaping up to be the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback, and Cincinnati Bengals rookie Joe Burrow have a 75-to-1 chance.
