2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes Opened at 100-1
By Chris Amberley in NFL Football
Updated: March 25, 2020 at 10:53 am EDTPublished:
- On April 10, 2018 Patrick Mahomes’ average MVP odds were +10000, the longest they were all season
- Mahomes closed the season as a -230 favorite after a 5,097-yard, 50-touchdown campaign
- Take a look back at Mahomes’ 2018 Season and see what events impacted his odds of winning MVP.
The Kansas City Chiefs knew Patrick Mahomes was going to be special, but even they’d admit he’s wildly exceeded their expectations.
After trading up to steal him with the 10th overall pick in 2017, the Chiefs sat Mahomes for all but one game during his rookie season, before letting him dip his toes into the water in Week 17 against the Broncos.
Here it is…”The Drive”. The first game winning drive Patrick Mahomes’s career in his first career start. Hopefully the first of many with the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/bwr7qr7hM7
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) January 1, 2018
Mahomes led a group of KC backups to a victory over Denver’s starters that day, giving head coach Andy Reid all the ammunition he needed to trade away Alex Smith and insert Mahomes into the starting role for 2018.
Patrick Mahomes’ first Chiefs start showed Andy Reid the future, @greggrosenthal writeshttps://t.co/qznZxT8AnJ pic.twitter.com/MWM7BAB929
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 3, 2018
Fast forward a year, and Mahomes sets the NFL on fire, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. He was the odds-on favorite to win MVP, and Reid looks like a genius.
Closing Odds to Win 2018 NFL MVP
| Team | Pos | Team | Odds to Win NFL MVP (12/26/18) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | KC | -230 |
| Drew Brees | QB | NO | +145 |
| Philip Rivers | QB | LAC | +2500 |
| Andrew Luck | QB | IND | +5000 |
| Russell Wilson | QB | SEA | +5000 |
*Odds are from 12/26/18, the last time any online sports betting site had them available
Mahomes of course wins the award, becoming the youngest NFL MVP since Dan Marino in 1984, and the first Chiefs player to ever take home the hardware.
Patrick Mahomes becomes the 1st Chief ever to win NFL MVP! pic.twitter.com/WgbGowiPCX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 3, 2019
It’s been a wild ride for Mahomes to say the least, so let’s look back at the key moments in his breakthrough season.
Mahomes Opened 2018 at 100-1 to Win MVP
When online sportsbooks released their NFL MVP odds for the 2018 NFL season on April 10th, Mahomes’ average odds were +10000, well behind other long shot QB’s like Eli Manning (+3300), Marcus Mariota (+4000), and Joe Flacco (+5000).
Money comes in on Mahomes
By the start of August, training camp was in full swing and Mahomes’ MVP odds were shortened to +3500 ahead of the preseason.
Arrowheadlines: Patrick Mahomes “wows” and “shines” at Chiefs training camp https://t.co/4UXN7hbPNQ
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) August 1, 2017
Despite the drastic price change, 17 other quarterbacks still had shorter MVP odds at the time than Mahomes.
A Dazzling Season Debut
Mahomes rewarded his longshot backers with a spectacular Week 1 performance on the road against the Chargers. He picked apart the LA secondary for 256 yards and four touchdowns on just 27 attempts.
Well done, QB1.
Patrick Mahomes looked like the real deal against the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/xMMYCzZzZy
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 9, 2018
On September 12th, just three days after that game, Mahomes’ MVP odds were shortened again to +2000. The only players in the entire league after Week 1 with shorter odds to win the award, were Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees.
A Statement against the Steelers in Week 2
His Week 1 effort was special, but in Week 2 Mahomes took his play to a whole new level.
PATRICK MAHOMES. ?
His 6th TD pass vs. the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/BMr5tQCw2m
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 16, 2018
A six-touchdown outing, in Pittsburgh, gave the Chiefs their second straight win to open the season, and made fantasy football players everywhere regret not drafting the young phenom sooner.
I’m now taking Patrick Mahomes in every fantasy sports draft I’ve ever had ever… any sport
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 16, 2018
The online sports betting sites were quick to react to Mahomes’ scorching start, and on September 18th they shortened his MVP odds to +1000, making him a top three favorite.
Mahomes Officially becomes the Favorite After Week 3
Mahomes’ record setting start continued in Week 3, with a 314-yard, 3-touchdown effort against the Niners in his home debut.
Patrick Mahomes passed Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the all-time leader in TDs through a team’s first three games after his performance against the 49ers. pic.twitter.com/U5JNZLLiz2
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 23, 2018
That performance, coupled with Rodgers’ lackluster game in a blowout loss to the Redskins, catapulted Mahomes into pole position in the MVP race on September 26th, with +330 odds to win the award.
Gurley Gives Mahomes a Midseason Run
By the time Halloween rolled around, KC was 7-1 and Mahomes had just racked up his seventh straight 300-yard passing game in a win over the Broncos.
In the Broncos’ last 30 games, they’ve allowed an opposing quarterback to throw for 300 yards just twice…both times to Patrick Mahomes.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) October 28, 2018
Mahomes’ MVP odds were down to +100, but Todd Gurley was hot on his tail at +210. The Rams running back had racked up 15 touchdowns in his first eight games, and was eying the NFL record books.
Todd Gurley on pace to score 32 rushing/receiving touchdowns this season. NFL record is 31, set by LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) October 22, 2018
Mahomes slips behind Brees after turnover-filled battle with Rams
Three weeks later, Gurley’s MVP campaign had stalled, but Mahomes had a new challenger to worry about. Drew Brees had thrown 11 touchdowns in his last three games, including eight combined in impressive wins over the Rams and Eagles.
One of those days for Drew Brees and the Saints
22/30
363 YDS
4 TD
48-7 win over Eagles pic.twitter.com/FFQ8r5Ju39— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 19, 2018
The Saints had won nine straight, and not even another six-touchdown performance by Mahomes, in a losing effort against the Rams, could prevent Brees from emerging as the new MVP favorite when the updated odds were released November 21st.
Brees opened that day as a -260 favorite, while Mahomes’ odds were lengthened to +200.
Mahomes takes back over and doesn’t look back
While Brees’ production declined down the stretch, throwing only three touchdowns in the final five weeks of the season, Mahomes kept piling up big numbers.
By the end of Week 14, he’d already exceeded 40 touchdowns and was wowing us with no-look throws against the NFL’s top defense.
How good is Patrick Mahomes?
He’s out here throwing NO LOOK PASSES.#ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/vokMXp3qO8
— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 9, 2018
By December 12th, he was once again the MVP favorite, with -140 odds to take home the hardware, and those odds would only get shorter as the season wound down.
He punctuated his 2018 regular season with two 60+ yard touchdown bombs in a blowout win versus the Raiders, as chants of MVP echoed throughout Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes to Tyreek against the Raiders secondary is too easy ✌️✌️✌️ pic.twitter.com/D02T0eH1xN
— The Sports Quotient (@SportsQuotient) December 30, 2018
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
