The Christmas Night game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens held plenty of weight when it came to playoff positioning and as a potential Super Bowl preview, but its effects on the NFL MVP race were even more drastic.
Brock Purdy entered Week 16 as the heavy favorite with just three games remaining. But Lamar Jackson and company were able to flip the script and dismantle San Francisco as 5.5 point underdogs, and the Ravens’ quarterback is now the favorite to win the award for most valuable for the first time all year.
NFL MVP: 8 Different Players Have Been The Favorite This Year
Entering Week 17, eight different players have been at least co-favorites to win the NFL MVP this season @BetMGM ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/wQfNa93Ngb
— Evan Abrams (@EvanHAbrams) December 26, 2023
Giving nod to the parity that has overtaken the NFL this season, there have already been eight different players who have been considered the favorites to win MVP this season:
Josh Allen:
Allen was listed as one of the three co-favorites coming into the year, and was alone at the top of the board as the Bills looked dominant to start the season. Buffalo fell on hard times and their quarterback hasn’t been the leader since, but he is making a late season push as his team does the same, and is currently listed at +900, the third shortest odds on the board.
Patrick Mahomes:
Mahomes’ presence on the board this season has almost been by default, given his recent history. He was listed as the favorite or co-favorite for 8 of the first 10 weeks, but is now at the bottom of the list at +5000 as the Chiefs have fallen on hard times.
Joe Burrow:
One of the three co-favorites to start the year with Allen and Mahomes, Burrow never made it back to the top as Cincinnati struggled early and he suffered a season-ending injury.
Tua Tagovailoa:
Miami’s high-powered offense put Tagovailoa in the lead for Weeks 3 and 4 and he was the co-leader with Mahomes in Week 7. His production has fallen off a bit, but still leads the league in many important categories, and could be a dark horse candidate for the award at +1000, especially if the Dolphins are able to upset the Ravens on Sunday.
“Stop with the Tua, Dak, Brock Purdy nonsense… Last night is what a MVP looks like.”
— @ColinCowherd on Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/QCfmwsEys8
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 26, 2023
Jalen Hurts:
He doesn’t quite have as impressive passing numbers as his competitors, but the Eagles being the team’s top team and him being their more frequent producer made Jalen Hurts the favorite for a few weeks. But Philly hit a wall late in the season along with their quarterback’s NFL MVP chances, and he is no longer on the board at BetOnline.
Dak Prescott:
There was a 5 to 6 week stretch near the middle of the season in which no quarterback was playing better than Prescott. But his time at the top of the odds board was short, as he and Dallas have failed to deliver over the past couple of weeks.
Brock Purdy:
The most unlikely of candidates of the eight, Brock Purdy has had some of the best numbers of any pass thrower this season. His unfortunate performance against the Ravens essentially ends his chances at NFL MVP, as he is now at +1200 with two games left.
Lamar Jackson:
The new overall at outright leader at -190, the award is now Jackson’s to lose. Should he lead Baltimore to a convincing win over the Dolphins on Sunday, the award could be locked up before Week 18 even begins.
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