NFL MVP odds rise and fall dramatically as the season plays out. It’s up to you to figure out who it will be early enough to get the best MVP odds you can find. MVP odds are released fairly early in the offseason and remain active all year round. See below for the latest odds as posted at online Canadian sportsbooks.
NFL MVP odds
Stay on top of the latest NFL MVP odds with real-time odds from online sportsbooks below. Click on any odds to jump right to the sportsbook and get your bets started.
Odds on NFL MVP favourites
You’ll find lots of QBs at the top of the odds board for NFL MVP. If we look at the current market over at DraftKings Sportsbook, the top 11 spots are filled by signal-callers before we find another position. Recent trends suggest it’ll be a QB once again, but there’s naturally no guarantee of that. Here are the top annual contenders at key positions.
- Top QB contenders for NFL MVP
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Rodgers picked up his fourth MVP in 2021 while Mahomes took it down in 2018. Allen has yet to win it, but his recent performance suggests he can pull it off before too long.
- Top RB contenders for NFL MVP
- Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
- Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
- Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
For an RB to win MVP, it has to be a monster statistical season. All three of the above players are more than capable of making it happen. Henry is a downright nightmare to tackle, while McCaffrey and Cook have dual-purpose talents and the ability to score from nearly anywhere on the field.
- Top WR/TE contenders for NFL MVP
- Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
- DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
As the odds will suggest, the chances of a pass catcher winning the NFL MVP award are really slim. Adams, Hopkins, and Kittle are three of the top skill-position players in the NFL and all capable of posting a record-breaking season. Further down the list are other WRs and TEs, including Stefon Diggs and Travis Kelce.
- Top Defensive contenders for NFL MVP
- TJ Watt, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Aaron Donald, DL, Los Angeles Rams
- Myles Garrett, DL, Cleveland Browns
It would take a Herculean effort for a defender to win the league MVP. Naturally, the favourites to win the DPOY would be the most likely to make it happen. You can take a flier if you see something special coming from a defender, but the wider investment may be to make a separate wager or two on the DPOY winner.
How NFL MVP bets work
Football betting odds for the winner of the next NFL MVP award will come out early in the offseason. All of the major operators offer up markets for this wager, and the lines can and will adjust in response to betting action. As the season plays out, you can expect to see continued movement on the odds board as the fortunes of various players rise and fall.
One important factor to keep in mind is that the odds won’t always be the same at each shop. There are differences to be found in NFL MVP candidates and their current odds at top sportsbooks.
They may be small ticks of difference, but they can add up to a lot over the long term. As for the potential returns on an NFL MVP futures bet, the positive number of the odds also equals how much of a return you can expect for a $100 bet.
A $100 winning bet on NFL MVP at odds of +600 would lead to $600 in profit coming back your way.
It’s important to remember that the futures market requires a long-range view. Winning bets can’t be paid until the results are finalized, so the amount of your wager will remain tied up until then.
In the unlikely event of the entire season being cancelled, futures bets will be considered void and refunded. If a player misses time due to injury, that’ll naturally impact their chances, but your bet will remain live. Take the time to review the house rules at the books you play on for specific details.
NFL MVP betting trends
Quarterbacks have been on a dominant run in racking up NFL MVP awards. The current trend stands at eight in a row, and it would be less than stunning to see the number climb higher. Has it always been that way? Let’s take a look at the overall trends over the last few decades.
- NFL MVP winners last 10 years
- QBs won 9 of 10
- Lone other award went to RB
- NFL MVP winners last 20 years
- QBs won 18 of 20
- 1 year of co-MVPs in 2003 – Peyton Manning and Steve McNair
- Other two awards went to RBs
- NFL MVP winners last 30 years
- QBs won 24 of 30
- Another co-MVP in 1997 – QB Brett Favre and RB Barry Sanders
- RBs won seven times (once as co-MVP)
Who won NFL MVP last 10 years?
Over the past decade, if you predicted that a QB was going to win the NFL MVP award, you’d have yourself an awesome winning percentage. While QBs have been regular honourees since the inception of the award, it’s now to the point where it takes a truly special season to see the award head somewhere else. Here’s a look back at the last 10 winners.
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | Green Bay Packers |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | Green Bay Packers |
| 2019 | Lamar Jackson | QB | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2017 | Tom Brady | QB | New England Patriots |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2015 | Cam Newton | QB | Carolina Panthers |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | Green Bay Packers |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning | QB | Denver Broncos |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
The outlier in the group is Peterson, who had a truly remarkable 2019 campaign. He played in all 16 games, toting the rock 348 times for 2,097 yards and 12 TDs. For good measure, he hauled in 40 passes for 217 yards and a score. If a QB is going to be knocked off the perch next time around, then the player who does it will have had a season to remember.
Canadian NFL MVP candidates
While there hasn’t been a Canadian-born winner of the award during the regular season, Mark Rypien made history when he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXVI. Calgary-born Rypien was stellar as he led Washington to a 37-24 win over Buffalo. Of the current crop of NFL players born in Canada, one stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Chase Claypool was born in Abbotsford, BC. After a solid college career at Notre Dame, he was selected in round two of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His first three games in the black and gold were nothing to write home about, but he announced his arrival in big league fashion the fourth time he took the field as a pro.
The Steelers were home playing host to the Philadelphia Eagles. It turned into a high-scoring affair, and Claypool was a huge part of the festivities as he hauled in seven of 11 targets for 110 yards and three scores. While he only broke the 100-yard mark one more time the rest of the way, Claypool is a bona fide threat that opposing defences have to work to contain.
Claypool has the size — 6 foot 4 inches and 238 lbs — as well as the speed and hands to be a true number one receiver in the NFL. It’s not out of the question for him to be in the discussion of potential NFL MVP candidates as his career moves ahead.
Other NFL futures odds
While the NFL MVP futures market is incredibly active, it’s also far from the only game in town for that type of betting. You can peer into the crystal ball in a number of different ways with the NFL. Other popular futures markets include:
- Super Bowl odds
- Division and conference champions
- Over/Under on NFL regular-season win totals
- NFL Player Props
- Teams to make or miss playoffs (see team futures on our Green Bay Packers odds page, Buffalo Bills odds page, Minnesota Vikings odds page, etc)
- Other individual awards
- Defensive player of the year
- Rookie of the year
- State leaders in various categories
As with the NFL MVP futures, the odds for these bets are released in the offseason, and the numbers will move in response to betting action. You can place your bets soon after the initial release, or take a wait-and-see approach to see what develops. There are plenty of handicappers who remain engaged with futures all season long to hunt for appealing opportunities.
The overall goal is to make the right choice, but you’ll also want to find the selections that you want at the best possible prices. To make that happen, line shopping is very highly recommended. You can lean on our live odds feed to do that with ease as we pull together the real-time data from multiple legal shops into one single and scannable list.
NFL MVP FAQ
Who votes for NFL MVP?
The Associated Press gathers together 50 voters annually. It’s a mix of top names from the print, radio, TV, and website segments of the media industry. Overall, the goal is a cross-section of perspectives that cover both the national and local NFL beats. While there has been a strong consensus on the winner in several seasons, other years have seen more of a split vote.
Which player and team has won the most MVP awards?
Peyton Manning is atop the list with five MVP awards, four of which he won as a member of the Indianapolis Colts with the other coming during his time with the Denver Broncos. Five players are tied for third place with three awards: Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers. From a franchise perspective, the Colts and Packers are tied for the lead with nine award winners.
What are the most controversial NFL MVP picks of recent years?
The last four winners have all received 40 or more of 50 possible votes. The 2016 season was the last time that the vote was widely split. Matt Ryan was the winner with 25 votes, followed by Tom Brady with 10 votes and four players who received six votes or less. Before that season, Aaron Rodgers won with 31 votes in 2014 (JJ Watt runner-up with 13), and Adrian Peterson won in 2012 with 30.5 (Peyton Manning only other vote-getter at 19.5).
Who has had the best and worst MVP years?
All MVP award winners have had special seasons, but some just stand out more than others. In recent times, the 2013 award-winning season of Peyton Manning is tough to beat. He led the Denver Broncos to a 13-3 regular season mark while throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 TDs. On the list of infamous winners, placekicker Mark Moseley of Washington was the award-winner for the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season.
Is it ever good to bet on a repeat MVP winner?
The modern history of the award goes back to 1961. Since then, just four players have managed to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
- QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, 2020-21
- QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 2008-09
- QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 2003-04 (one co-MVP)
- QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers, 1995-97 (three in a row, one co-MVP)
- QB Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers, 1989-90
QB Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers and QB Kurt Warner of the Los Angeles Rams came close as they both won the award twice over three years. In short, it can be done, but it would take an epic run of excellence to turn the trick.
How has analytics affected MVP voting & winners?
Analytics has impacted the game in several different ways, so it’s safe to say that NFL MVP voting has been influenced as well. That said, there is nothing from a statistical analytics perspective that is going to change the fact that professional football is a results-oriented business. The person chosen to win the award will have proven himself to be among the very best in the league on the field of play.
When is the best time to bet MVP futures?
The bottom line goal of NFL MVP futures betting is to nail the winner. If you manage to do that, it doesn’t matter when you get your bets in. However, there’s a case to be made for striking early once the odds are released before a whole flurry of football betting action influences the lines. Additionally, if a player you’re interested in hits a rough patch and falls down the odds board, that could be a great time to strike if you anticipate a big turnaround.