Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been one of the best players in the NFL since his third season in the league. That year, he made the leap from 3,089 yards passing and 29 total touchdowns in 2019, to 4,544 passing yards and 45 total touchdowns in 2020.
He finished a distant second to Aaron Rodgers in MVP voting, but from that season to now, he has kept his name in the MVP conversation. Over the past two weeks, he is the entire conversation.
Allen is the clear favorite to win his first MVP, paying -900. He’s accounted for 36 total touchdowns. He’s also taken a career-low 13 sacks, and in what was supposed to be a down year for the Bills because of a dearth of wide receivers, has been anything but down.
Buffalo is 11-3, the current second seed in the AFC. They scored 90 points over the last two weeks, and they have now become the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl at +425.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had his run at the top of the betting board, and he is still playing outstanding football. This week, he threw five touchdowns with fewer than five incompletions for the fifth time in his career. No one else has done it more than three times.
Jackson is paying +750 to win his third MVP. Three weeks ago, he was at +200.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is still in the running, but his odds have slipped to +1500. He’s also fallen behind the pace to set the single-season rushing record. As simply a great season, and not the best of all-time, he’s easier to ignore by voters.
Offensive Player of the Year
The MVP award is not only for quarterbacks, but that is usually who wins it. The Offensive Player of the Year award is not only for non-quarterbacks, but that is usually who wins it.
Barkley is third in MVP betting, but he is the favorite to win OPOY, paying -350. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is on pace to win the triple crown (receptions, yards, touchdowns) and he is paying +420. Josh Allen is +1200, and Lamar Jackson is +2500, which puts him behind his backfield mate, Derrick Henry.
Why the player second in line to win MVP is only fifth in line to win Offensive Player of the Year is a question we ask every year, and it never makes sense.
Defensive Player of the Year
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, paying -160. He suffered a mild ankle sprain on Sunday, and officially is listed as questionable for Saturday against the Ravens. However, he suffered a mild ankle sprain in 2021 and he didn’t miss a game.
Patrick Surtain of the Denver Broncos is second in DPOY betting at +340. Broncos outside linebacker Nick Bonitto returned a touchdown for the second straight week, and he’s now paying +650.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was making a run at Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he took a step back this week. Denver won, but Nix threw three interceptions and had just 130 yards. He’s now paying +750.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been the favorite to win the award since he beat the New York Giants in Week 2. He threw two touchdown passes this week at the New Orleans Saints, and is now paying -1500.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
The closest race for a postseason award is for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is the +110 favorite. He’s gone 10 straight games without allowing more than 30 yards in man coverage.
Rams defensive end Jared Verse is second at +150, after leading the betting odds for most of the season. Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still has three interceptions in his last three games, and he is paying +800. Miami Dolphins defensive end Chop Robinson is fourth at +900.
Comeback Player of the Year
Last season, Joe Burrow went down in Week 11 with a season-ending wrist injury. At the time, he was averaging 230 passing yards per game and had 15 touchdowns. This year, he’s averaging 284 yards per game and he has 36 touchdown passes.
Burrow is having the best season of his career after a summer in which the health of his wrist was in doubt. To no one’s surprise, he is the runaway favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year at -700. Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles in Week 1 last year, and he is +1300 to win the award. However, he’s hurt again, and his odds will continue to drop as he misses more games.
Coach of the Year
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year last season after leading his team to the playoffs with a castoff backup quarterback. This year, Kevin O’Connell is leading the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs with a castoff backup quarterback, and he is the betting favorite to win the award at +110.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is second at +250, and his head-scratching decision to kick an onside kick with 10 minutes left against the Bills on Sunday might have lost him some end-of-season votes. Third in betting at +350 is Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who is on the verge of getting Denver into the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, and doing it with a rookie quarterback.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
