The start of the 2021 NFL season is under a month away and fans are already wagering on who’ll win each of the individual awards. While it’s an honor to win any of the league’s prestigious trophies, there’s no individual accomplishment better than being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. At +475 odds, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is BetOnline’s favorite to be named 2021 NFL MVP.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Mahomes’ name in the running for 2021 NFL MVP. After all, he’s been, arguably, the best quarterback since he was first named Most Valuable Player back in 2018. During that span, no other signal-caller has thrown more touchdowns than Mahomes’ 114. When it comes to passing yards since 2018, the Chiefs QB has thrown 308.2 per game — by far the most in that span.
Another thing that works in Mahomes’ favor is that he plays in a Chiefs offense that caters to his strengths. He has some of the best pass-catchers in the game in wideout Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. With both of those players consistently putting up 1,000 or more receiving yards each year, Mahomes is going to continue putting up his own insane numbers. The Chiefs are also favored to win Super Bowl 56, which means the fifth-year QB will likely need to have an MVP-quality season to get them there.
Early 2021 NFL MVP Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Tuesday, August 17
- Patrick Mahomes (+475)
- Josh Allen (+900)
- Matthew Stafford (+1000)
- Aaron Rodgers (+1200)
- Dak Prescott (+1200)
- Lamar Jackson (+1400)
- Tom Brady (+1400)
- Baker Mayfield (+1600)
- Justin Herbert (+1800)
- Kyler Murray (+1800)
- Russell Wilson (+1800)
- Cam Newton (+3300)
- Joe Burrow (+3300)
- Ryan Tannehill (+3300)
- Trey Lance (+3300)
Complete odds are available at BetOnline.ag.
Josh Allen Most Valuable Player Odds 2021
At +900 odds, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has the second-best shot at winning the 2021 NFL MVP award. A few years ago, that may have seemed like a silly idea, however, Allen has been improving with each passing season and took a major leap towards superstardom in 2020. He finished last year with career-highs in completion percentage (69.2%) and both passing yards (4,544) and touchdowns (37). Allen’s efforts helped him become a finalist for the 2020 MVP Award, however, he ended up losing out to Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Nevertheless, the Bills gunslinger still finished with four votes and will be looking for more in 2021.
Still, Allen is in a perfect situation to be named 2021 NFL MVP. The Bills had 13 wins last year and should probably finish around the same total this season, especially with them being the best team in the AFC East. Like the Chiefs and Mahomes, the Bills also play to Allen’s strengthens in the offense, which proved to work last year as Buffalo averaged 29.9 points per game (3rd). At 25 years old, there’s still more time for Allen to get even better, so it’ll be interesting to see what steps he takes in 2021.
Matthew Stafford 2021 NFL MVP Odds
One of the biggest moves of the offseason was when the Detroit Lions traded their longtime No. 1 QB Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for QB Jared Goff and some draft picks. Now, before he’s even played a game for his new team, Stafford already has the third-best odds (+1000) to be named 2021 NFL MVP.
Stafford has been one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league over the last decade and a lot of that has to do with him playing for the lowly Lions. Since becoming a legitimate starter in 2011, only Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers have thrown more than Stafford’s 42,307 passing yards. He also has 263 touchdowns in that span, which ranks seventh. Regardless, those statistics show how Stafford hasn't been that far off from the best quarterbacks in recent history.
Stafford is coming off a season that saw him throw for 4,084 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on a 3-13 Lions team. Considering how the Rams have one of the best offensive lines in the league and will surround the QB with better passing options than he had in Detroit, it’s not hard to imagine Stafford posting an MVP-quality campaign.
