Lamar Jackson’s NFL MVP Odds Improve to +350 After Week 2, Only Trails Mahomes & Brady

• Lamar Jackson has totaled 722 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season
• Patrick Mahomes has thrown for 821 yards and seven touchdowns through two weeks
• See how the odds to win NFL MVP have changed after Week 2

The race for the 2019 NFL MVP award was expected to be between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield, and Aaron Rodgers.

However, Luck retired before the season started; Brees is now out for around six weeks; and Mayfield has not put up the numbers many expected. We also have a surprise entrant in the field as Lamar Jackson has been electric through two weeks and is now third in line in terms of the NFL MVP odds.

Is he a good bet to win it at this point?

2020 NFL MVP Odds

*Odds taken September 17

Jackson Has Been Incredible

For those who thought Lamar Jackson wasn’t quite ready to be a pocket passer in the NFL, they might want to think again. The Baltimore Ravens starter has been on-point through two weeks of action, completing 41-of-57 passes for 596 yards and seven touchdowns.

He’s also run for 126 yards too.

To date, Jackson is completing an incredible 71.9% of his passes and he’s found plenty of weapons to work with. Rookie wideout Marquise Brown has been one of his favorite targets, while second-year tight ends Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst have provided an excellent safety valve for Jackson.

Add in a running game with Mark Ingram, an offensive line that’s held together well so far, and Jackson finds himself in an environment that’s conducive to success. He has a much better cast around him in 2019.

Schedule Will Get Tougher

If there is one concern to be had with Jackson to this point, he hasn’t really played anyone. The Ravens burned the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, who are among the worst teams in NFL history.

In Week 2, the Ravens beat the Arizona Cardinals, who had a rookie quarterback making his first-ever NFL road start.

If anything, there might be a bit of a concern as the Cardinals don’t have a very good defense, as starting cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Robert Alford were out. Jackson’s passing numbers dropped a little bit week-over-week and with much tougher opponents coming up, one has to wonder if he can keep this up or if we’ll see more of a decline.

Mahomes, Chiefs Look Unstoppable

Although Jackson has taken the next step in his development in his second season as a starter, so has Mahomes. Not many people envisioned he’d get better after tossing 50 touchdowns last season – it’s hard to top that number– but he’s looked awesome through two weeks of action and is on pace for 56 touchdown passes.

Mahomes has passed for over 300 yards in the first half in each of his first two games while totaling 821 passing yards with seven touchdowns already. What’s more impressive is that he’s done it against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are supposed to have a good defense, and the Oakland Raiders, whose defense is improved.

What’s crazy is that Mahomes has had almost no running game to help him out and he’s played nearly two games without his top target from last year, Tyreek Hill. If those factors won’t slow him down, what will?

What’s the Best Bet?

It’s early in the season, but at this point, Mahomes is head-and-shoulders above the competition. Jackson has had a couple of good games but he’s played a couple of weaklings. Mahomes has played much tougher defenses, had less help and has still been unstoppable.

Of course, it’s always easy to recommend the favorite with any bet, but at this point, Mahomes is actually the only bet I’d make for the MVP award. Through two weeks, he’s proven that he’s the man to beat for this award.