The odds to claim NFL MVP honours for the 2020 season is dominated by quarterbacks, with Kansas City Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes leading the way as a +600 betting favourite on those NFL futures at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Mahomes followed up his 2018 NFL MVP campaign in spectacular fashion, overcoming a mid-season knee injury to lead the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Despite missing the better part of three games, Mahomes still managed to remain among the top-ten passers in the NFL, throwing for 4,031 yards and racking up a combined 28 touchdowns.
The 24-year-old was particularly dominant during the NFL playoffs, throwing 10 touchdown passes and running for two additional scores to power the Chiefs to a season-ending nine-game winning streak. More of the same is expected from Mahomes in 2020, with short -125 odds favouring him to connect on over 36.5 scoring passes at betting sites.
Further down the NFL MVP odds, reigning winner Lamar Jackson closely trails Mahomes as a +750 second favourite. Russell Wilson follows at +900, while Kyler Murray has emerged as the fastest mover with his recent climb to +1000 odds.
Jackson enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2019 while leading the Baltimore Ravens to an NFL-best 14-2 record. The 23-year-old led the NFL with 36 scoring passes while ranking sixth in the league with 1,206 rushing yards. And after struggling in the Ravens’ stunning 28-12 playoff loss to Tennessee that ended their season and a franchise-record 12-game win streak, both Jackson and the Ravens will have a lot to prove in the 2020 campaign.
Murray is coming off a solid rookie season after being selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honours last season while compiling 3,722 passing yards and 20 scoring passes.
Set as a lengthy +2000 wager on the NFL MVP odds in early March, Murray has made dramatic gains since the Cardinals bolstered their receiving corps by acquiring DeAndre Hopkins in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans. However, even with the addition of Hopkins, the Cardinals remain back at +175 on the NFL odds to make the playoffs, a goal they must likely achieve for Murray to have any chance of garnering the MVP award.
Elsewhere on the NFL MVP odds, Tom Brady arrives in Tampa Bay listed as a +1200 bet to win a fourth career NFL MVP award, ahead of Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson, who sit deadlocked at +1800. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey leads all non-quarterbacks at +2500, just ahead of Dallas Cowboys rusher Ezekiel Elliott at +2800.
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