Handicapping The NFL’s MVP Race

Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady were supposed to be NFL MVP frontrunners but injuries to Mahomse and a lack of offensive punch from Brady has all but eliminated their candidacies. Instead, guys like Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, and Christian McCaffrey are among the favorites, according to the latest NFL MVP odds. Let’s take a closer look at the race, the odds and see who is the best bet.

RUSSELL WILSON
NFL MVP ODDS: +225

Russell Wilson is in the midst of an incredible season, leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 7-2 record through nine games. Wilson has arguably been the best quarterback in the league, tossing a league-best 22 touchdowns with just one interception, while leading the league in passer rating and QBR. He’s also added another 203 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

He’s the front runner for the MVP award right now and as long as he keeps this up it will be hard to make a case against the Seattle quarterback.

DESHAUN WATSON
NFL MVP ODDS: +350

In pursuit of his first NFL MVP award, Deshaun Watson has become the ultimate highlight reel. Watson has the Texans sitting at 6-3 in a very competitive AFC South. His playmaking ability has been on full display this year whether it’s been with his arm or with his legs. Watson has completed 70.2% of his passes while throwing 18 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He’s also added 279 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground.

His next three matchups will probably tell the story of his MVP campaign as they come versus three potential AFC playoff teams including the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.

LAMAR JACKSON
NFL MVP ODDS: +350

By far the most surprising in the MVP race has to be Lamar Jackson, who many thought would never succeed as a passing quarterback in the league. Coming off the biggest win in his career – knocking off the undefeated previously undefeated Patriots – Jackson has been tremendous this year, through the and with his legs. He has 1,813 passing yards and 637 rushing yards, which ranks Top 10 in the NFL in both categories. In total, he’s racked up 17 touchdowns.

If the Ravens continue make a push for one of the top two or three seeds in the AFC, Jackson will be among the finalists.

AARON RODGERS
NFL MVP ODDS: +600

Chasing his third NFL MVP award of his career, Rodgers has had some ups and downs. He was up after incredible back-to-back efforts against the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders where he compiled eight touchdowns and no picks along with 734 passing yards. However, he crashed hard last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, passing for just 161 yards and a touchdown in a blowout loss.

Rodgers has thrown for 2,485 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Those are impressive numbers but he can’t have many more efforts like last week if he wants to stay in the race.

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
NFL MVP ODDS: +600

The most intriguing player in this race has to be Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. With starting quarterback Cam Newton going down early in the season, most experts wrote off the Carolina Panthers. While second year quarterback Kyle Allen has stepped up, McCaffrey has produced MVP numbers in helping the team stay in playoff contention. McCaffrey has 881 rushing yards with a total of 10 touchdowns, to tag along with 363 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. That puts him on pace for nearly 2,500 combined scrimmage yards and 26 touchdowns. He might be the best bet of the bunch given the price tag at +600 as he has a real shot to pull this off.

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