Maye vaults Allen as MVP favorite
Drake Maye became the favorite to win the NFL MVP after the Patriots defeated the NFC-contending Buccaneers on Sunday and improved to 8-2.
While he's lurked in the MVP race throughout the season, this is the first time the second-year quarterback is alone atop the oddsboard.
NFL MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Drake Maye | +250 |
| Matthew Stafford | +350 |
| Jonathan Taylor | +600 |
| Patrick Mahomes | +600 |
| Josh Allen | +750 |
| Sam Darnold | +850 |
| Jalen Hurts | +2200 |
| Baker Mayfield | +2500 |
| Jordan Love | +2500 |
| Justin Herbert | +2500 |
| Lamar Jackson | +2500 |
π You can find a full list of awards odds on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here
Maye opened the season at +5000 to win the MVP and fell to +10000 in early October. He climbed all the way to +425 entering Sunday, the second-best odds behind Josh Allen, before becoming a +250 favorite following New England's victory.
The North Carolina product has the NFL's third-most passing yards and the third-best completion percentage. Most notably, the Patriots are tied for the most wins in the league. Team success has been the ultimate differentiator in recent MVP races. New England has a manageable schedule to finish the season, with five of its remaining seven games against the Jets, Bengals, Giants, and Dolphins.
Maye got some help from another contender Sunday to take the top spot. Allen had his worst outing of the season in an embarrassing blowout loss to the Dolphins, throwing an interception, losing a fumble, and posting a 28.8 quarterback rating. The result sent the reigning MVP down the oddsboard to the fifth-best odds at +750.
The Patriots already defeated the Bills in October, but the teams play again in mid-December in a game that could have a tremendous influence on the MVP market.
Matthew Stafford has also entered the MVP mix as the Rams have won four straight games. He's thrown for 743 yards across his last three games and delivered 13 touchdown passes with no interceptions. As the universally recognized greatest quarterback in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes will always be in contention as well. But the Chiefs' 5-4 record doesn't help his case, even if it's not a reflection of Mahomes' performance.
Jonathan Taylor has been the most crucial piece to the Colts' surprising 8-2 start, and the rushing phenom has steadily moved up the oddsboard. He jumped to the third-best odds after compiling 286 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns versus the Falcons.
Running backs aren't typically in the MVP conversation because voters have turned the award into a quarterback honor. Adrian Peterson was the last non-quarterback to win MVP, in 2012. Saquon Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards on a 14-win team last season and still didn't capture the award. Rewarding Taylor, who's not quite on pace for 2,000 yards, would be almost impossible to justify, considering Barkley's achievements weren't enough.
Despite Maye grasping the lead, the race remains open with two months of the season left.
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