As with most NFL futures odds markets, NFL MVP odds can be profitable—especially if you pick the right player before the season starts. Here’s how to bet on the NFL MVP here in Ohio plus what factors to consider when making your picks.
Latest NFL MVP odds
Who are this year’s NFL MVP favorites?
Here are the top contenders for this year’s NFL MVP. Note that due to their higher probabilities of winning the award, they have lower NFL betting odds.
1. Josh Allen
Allen has been brilliant for the Buffalo Bills since 2018. The Bills are among the favorites to make some noise this year, partly because they have one of the league’s best quarterbacks. One of Allen’s most significant traits is his accuracy from deep, which could get him enough stats to win the MVP.
2. Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is among the most consistent NFL players. He’s been exceptional for some time now, getting 4,000-plus passing yards in multiple years and winning the MVP award in 2018. The Texas Tech product is a prime candidate for NFL MVP as long as he remains healthy.
3. Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles may not have been the preseason choice for most bettors to make a run this season, but they are having a solid performance thanks to the quarterback skills of Jalen Hurts. He is quick, he is accurate and he can make defenders miss to keep plays alive.
4. Lamar Jackson
With one NFL MVP award already under his belt in 2019, Jackson is always in consideration for the award thanks to his skills at the quarterback position. Not only can he throw well, but the Ravens’ signal-caller can also make defenses look silly with how well he runs the ball too.
5. Joe Burrow
The Cincinnati Bengals may not be as potent as they were in the 2021-22 season, but they still have all the tools necessary to get a win on any given Sunday (or Thursday, or Monday, for that matter). One of the biggest reasons for that is the aggressive play from quarterback Joe Burrow, who has been steadily climbing up the rankings as one of the top MVP favorites.
Recent NFL MVP winners
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2019 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2017 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan | Quarterback | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2015 | Cam Newton | Quarterback | Carolina Panthers |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2013 | Payton Manning | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson | Running Back | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
NFL MVP betting trends
1. Youngest/oldest MVP award winners
Patrick Mahomes was the youngest (23) to win the MVP award until Lamar Jackson claimed it in 2019 (also 23, but a few months younger). Brady became the oldest player to win the award in 2017 at age 40.
2. Repeat winners
Since 2011, the MVP has gone to a first-time winner seven times. Peyton Manning received his third MVP in 2008, his fourth in 2009 and then claimed a fifth in 2013.
Manning is the only player to win the MVP award for two different teams. He also has the most total MVPs (five). Favre, Rodgers and Brady are all tied for the second-most MVP awards (three). Brady got his second award in 2010 and his third in 2017.
Rodgers is the only repeat winner in the last 10 years. He received his first MVP in 2011, his second in 2014 and his third in 2020.
3. Back-to-back winners
Several players have won multiple MVP awards, but consecutively securing it is pretty rare. It’s happened 5 times overall including Aaron Rodgers in 2020/2021. Manning is the next most recent consecutive winner, and he did it twice. He claimed the MVP award in 2003 and 2004 and did it again in 2008 and 2009.
4. Positional trends
Quarterbacks have dominated the MVP award. Adrian Peterson is the only non-quarterback to win the MVP in recent history. He won in 2012 after becoming the seventh running back to break the 2,000-yard line in a season.
So while non-quarterbacks may have more favorable NFL MVP betting odds, it’s often wiser to place your bet on a quarterback to win the award. Also, note that a team’s success often matters, as the MVP tends to come from a team that makes the postseason. The team does not necessarily have to be the No. 1 seed in its conference, but it needs to be successful.
Who chooses the NFL MVP?
The NFL voting process is different from that of other leagues in terms of choosing the MVPs. Most leagues use a point system, which involves each voter picking and ranking several players. Then the player with the most points wins the award. In the NFL, voters can cast only one vote each.
The NFL MVP award gets presented by the Associated Press, with a panel of 50 sportswriters casting the votes. Although the voters get chosen each season, there can sometimes be carryovers.
When is the NFL MVP announced?
Every year, the NFL hosts the “NFL Honors” show, where it hands out awards. Alongside several other awards like Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year, the league announces its MVP.
The NFL MVP voting occurs at the end of the regular season before the playoffs begin. The winner’s announcement takes place a day before the Super Bowl (usually in early February).
How NFL MVP futures bets work
A futures bet tends to be a wager on a season-long or playoff-dependent event, such as betting on who will win the NFL MVP. Odds for popular NFL futures will come out in the offseason, often shortly after the end of the Super Bowl.
The odds will then remain available for much of the regular season. Sportsbooks will keep adjusting the odds depending on events such as injuries, trades, results and how the bets are coming in. You lock in your odds when you place a bet, however, regardless of how books adjust their odds later or what happens during the schedule.
You’ll generally see the various candidates for a specific futures bet listed from more likely winners to less likely. You can calculate the potential payouts and implied probability with live odds. Bettors get payouts on their futures bets after the sportsbook grades the occurrence or event.
When is the best time to bet on the NFL MVP?
The initial release of NFL MVP futures odds in the offseason can be a fantastic time to place your bets, especially if you have your eye on a solid contender who isn’t yet on everyone’s radar.
If you have multiple players with a realistic chance, you can opt for multiple bets to increase your chances of winning. Remember that the NFL MVP race betting odds move in response to betting action, so be sure to monitor the odds.
As the season progresses and long shots show more life or favorites experience rough patches, that can also be a great time to get the best prices. The NFL MVP markets will evolve throughout the year, so follow the patterns.
What happens to futures bets in a canceled season?
Review the rules of the sportsbook you’re playing on, as individual books may have different ways of handling specific issues on bet settlement. However, the general rule for extreme events, such as canceled seasons, is that the affected bets will be void, with sportsbooks issuing refunds for all such bets.
Can you cancel a futures bet?
No, you can’t. But if you placed a futures bet by mistake, you can immediately ask your sportsbook to return your wager and void the bet, though this decision is subject to the house rules.
A few sportsbooks provide an early payout option for pending futures bets, allowing you to close your bet before it’s final. If your futures bet has a high probability of losing, you can choose to take a reduced percentage of your original wager back.
What are the Vegas odds for NFL MVP?
In the past, Las Vegas was the authority for odds and lines in NFL betting. But things have changed as legal sports betting is in Ohio.
Sportsbooks that offer these bets tend to provide lines and odds in sync with what you’ll see in Sin City, including DraftKings Ohio and the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Although obscure bets may be a bit different, and the numbers can vary a little, you can generally access all the NFL futures you would like at non-Vegas sportsbooks. See the differences between Vegas odds and online odds here.
Bengals and Browns NFL MVP Award winners
For the Cincinnati Bengals, Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason won the MVP in 1981 and 1988, respectively.
On the Cleveland Browns, Jim Brown claimed the MVP in 1957 and again in 1958 and 1965. Another Browns player, Brian Sipe, won the award in 1980.
Other NFL futures bets
While NFL MVP bets are a popular option for futures, several other bets are available, as well. These NFL futures can span a variety of markets, and can be found at top state sportsbooks such as Caesars and BetMGM Sportsbook in Ohio:
- Season win totals
- Super Bowl MVP odds
- Super Bowl winner odds
- Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- Division champions