We have reached Week 16 of the NFL season, which means that playoff races are heating up throughout the league. The other race heating up is the MVP race, and things have really tightened up in the last few weeks.
There is a new favorite to win the MVP Award, and it’s a name that won’t be much of a surprise to fans that follow the league. It seems as if there are only a couple of players with a real shot at winning the award, but a big three weeks could change things once again. Of course, sports bettors could wager on who they believe will come away with the award.
Here is a look at how the MVP race is shaping up and which players seem to have the inside track to win the award.
Veterans Lead the Way
A pair of veteran quarterbacks are leading the way when looking at the betting odds, but they have changed positions. Aaron Rodgers is now the betting favorite to win the MVP Award at +140, while Tom Brady is right behind him at +185.
Just a few weeks ago, it appeared that Brady was going to run away with this award, but he just hasn’t put up big numbers lately. On the other hand, Rodgers is playing his best football of the season, and his Green Bay Packers team has been on a roll as well.
Rodgers won the MVP Award a season ago, and he has seemingly been in the mix throughout his entire career. Winning back-to-back MVPs in the NFL is not something that happens often, but Rodgers has enough talent to get it done.
Brady can play himself back in the conversation with three big weeks to finish the year, and voters will have a tough decision to make. Just when you think these two quarterbacks are getting close to retirement, they continue to dominate the league.
Can A Running Back Win It?
Quarterbacks have dominated the NFL MVP Award in recent years, but there is a great running back choice this season. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts has odds set at +850 to win the MVP Award, and he has climbed up the leaderboard.
The last running back to win the MVP Award was Adrian Peterson back in 2012. Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans had a monster season in 2020, but he couldn’t snatch the title away from Rodgers.
Taylor is putting up stats that are certainly worthy of MVP consideration, but it’s going to come down to how the voters view this award. If the running back slump is going to be broken, Taylor will be the player who does it this season.
Ready to Make a Run
Even though things seem to be wrapped up, some other players can still get back into the mix. These three quarterbacks should have their team in the NFL Playoffs, which will matter with the voters.
Here are the three other quarterbacks with an outside chance:
- Matthew Stafford +900
- Patrick Mahomes +1100
- Josh Allen +1500
Many NFL betting experts pegged Allen as the MVP betting favorite before the season began, but he has not played as well as a year ago. If Allen can lead the Bills to an AFC East title, that will help his chances.
Stafford and Mahomes will get some votes, but they haven’t put up the stats like Brady and Rodgers have. Mahomes has won this award in the past, while Stafford is having a monster season as a new member of the Los Angeles Rams.