Mahomes Is the New NFL MVP Favorite After Wilson Struggles Again in Week 10
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: November 18, 2020 at 11:16 am ESTPublished:
- Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has taken over as the +175 chalk to win the NFL MVP
- Mahomes was named NFL MVP in 2018
- Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who’d been favored most of the season, slipped to the +250 second betting choice
Step aside, Russell Wilson. A familiar fellow is once again snuggling up to the NFL MVP award. And the way he’s playing this season, Patrick Mahomes might not loosen his grip.
When the latest odds to win the NFL MVP were updated on Monday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes was the new betting favorite. He’s at odds of +175.
Wilson, QB of the suddenly slumping Seattle Seahawks, has dropped to +250 in the NFL MVP odds. Unless the Seahawks can rediscover their land legs, Wilson is going to be hard-pressed to chase down Mahomes.
Last week, Wilson was the +110 favorite. Mahomes was second in this betting market at +210.
2020 NFL MVP Odds
| Player (Team) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) | +175 |
| Russell Wilson (Seahawks) | +250 |
| Aaron Rodgers (Packers) | +300 |
| Kyler Murray (Cardinals) | +900 |
| Tom Brady (Buccaneers) | +2000 |
| Josh Allen (Bills) | +2300 |
| Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) | +3000 |
| Alvin Kamara (Saints) | +5000 |
| Dalvin Cook (Vikings) | +5000 |
| Philip Rivers (Colts) | +5000 |
Odds as of Nov. 16th at FanDuel
Wilson has never been named NFL MVP. In fact, he’s never garnered a single vote for the award during his nine-season career.
Wilson a Menace to Himself
Wilson carries the NFL’s cleverest Twitter handle – @DangeRussWilson. Lately, though the only thing he’s been a danger to is himself.
Wilson assumed the favorite’s mantle from Mahomes in the NFL MVP race on September 22. He’d held forth in that role ever since until Monday’s switch.
.@DangeRussWilson never loses faith pic.twitter.com/SPBOuGReqC
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 15, 2020
One bad game in last week’s 44-34 loss to the Buffalo Bills wasn’t enough to deter the oddsmakers. However, when Wilson stunk it up again in Sunday’s 23-13 setback to the Los Angeles Rams, it was too much to overcome.
Wilson turned in his worst performance of the season during the loss to the Rams. His passer rating was a season-low 57.0. That’s the third time in four games he’s dipped below 100. Seattle lost all three of those games.
Over the past four games, Wilson has turned over the ball 10 times. The Seahawks’ current two-game losing streak has seen him losing three fumbles and throwing four interceptions against two touchdowns.
The Russell Wilson MVP narrative
pic.twitter.com/65iHNRGC5c— 🌸sports tweeter Matthias🌸 (tonesetter) (@KryzivenTake2) November 16, 2020
Sunday, he was picked off twice, fumbled once and didn’t throw for a single score. There are other reasons why the Seahawks are slumping. They suit up the NFL’s worst defense. Injuries to Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Rashaad Penny have proven devastating to their run game.
Nonetheless, there’s no debating that Wilson’s own game has taken a serious nosedive.
Mahomes Standing Pat
You have to go back 42 games to Week 6 of the 2018 regular season to find a game in which Mahomes was picked off more times than he found his own receivers in the end zone.
The last time any NFL QB torched enemy defenses for consecutive games of 350 passing yards, four passing TDs and zero interceptions, as Mahomes did in his past two contests against the Jets and Panthers, it was Tom Brady during his 2007 MVP season.
Patrick Mahomes is probably gonna have the best passing stats for three years in a row (2018-2020.) The only real examples of that in the modern NFL is 1992-1994 Steve Young and 1977-1979 Roger Staubach. Many people are saying he's good at football.
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) November 16, 2020
Mahomes has thrown for 25 TDs against one interception. That’s an NFL-best 0.3 interception percentage. He’s also topping the league in QBR (87.0) and average yards per attempt (9.6).
Other NFL MVP Contenders
There are finally some non-QBs in the top 10 on the MVP board. Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara are both at +5000. There’s a lot of noise supporting Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (+300) as well.
However, if there’s a value play worth considering, it’s Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (+900). He’s working magic in the desert.
@DeAndreHopkins is a monster man!!!
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) November 16, 2020
His last-second Hail Mary game-winning TD pass to DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday against the Bills even got the attention of Mahomes
Murray’s MVP time will come. It won’t be this year, though. He still needs to add a touch more consistency to his already spectacular game.
What’s the Play?
At this point, it’s difficult to see anyone usurping Mahomes unless Mahomes pulls a Wilson and does it to himself. That, as history shows us, just isn’t going to happen.
MVP right now is …. Patrick Mahomes. And I don’t even think he’s played his best football yet this season.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) November 16, 2020
The saying suggests that the race goes to the steady. That’s Mahomes. He just doesn’t get his team beat.
Pick: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) +175
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
