Mahomes Still Given Best Odds to Win NFL MVP After Throwing 3 Interceptions, Rodgers Closing In
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: December 14, 2020 at 9:33 am ESTPublished:
- Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes remains the -250 odds-on chalk to be NFL MVP
- The odds on Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers have shortened to +175
- Both players are past winners of the award – see below for our best bet
Even the worst game of his NFL career in terms of turnovers couldn’t deter Patrick Mahomes from his apparent destiny to win his second NFL MVP award in three seasons. Aaron Rodgers is hanging in there, though, just to keep things interesting.
The Miami Dolphins intercepted Mahomes a career-high three times, but the Kansas City quarterback rallied the Chiefs for a 33-27 victory.
Two-time MVP Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as the Packers won 31-24 at the Detroit Lions.
Mahomes remans the odds-on -250 chalk in the 2020 NFL MVP odds. Rodgers, the second betting choice, has closed to a betting line of +175.
He was at average odds of +381 a week ago. In seven days, Mahomes lengthened from a average line of -463.
2020 NFL MVP Odds
| Player (Team) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) | -250 |
| Aaron Rodgers (Packers) | +175 |
| Josh Allen (Bills) | +4000 |
| Russell Wilson (Seahawks) | +5000 |
| Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) | +10000 |
| Derrick Henry (Titans) | +10000 |
| Ryan Tannehill (Titans) | +10000 |
| Alvin Kamara (Saints) | +10000 |
| Dalvin Cook (Vikings) | +20000 |
| Kyler Murray (Cardinals) | +20000 |
| Tom Brady (Buccaneers) | +20000 |
Odds as of Dec. 13th at FanDuel
It’s definitely a two-QB race with three weeks left in the NFL regular season. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is the third betting choice at +4000.
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, the +120 chalk as recently as Nov. 10, is now third in this betting market at a distant +5000.
Mahomes Makes Up For Miscues
Two early Mahomes interceptions that led to an earlier 10-0 Dolphins lead were the resulted of deflected balls. The third came later in the game on a spectacular grab by Miami interception machine Xavien Howard.
Mahomes was also sacked for a 30-yard loss by Jerome Baker on what clearly wasn’t his best day as a pro.
.@PatrickMahomes always good for a comeback in Miami 😅 pic.twitter.com/ixQKNarsft
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2020
And yet, Mahomes still managed to regroup and turn in a spectacular performance. On the same field where he rallied the Chiefs to victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54, Mahomes launched another comeback performance.
He passed for 393 yards and two TDs. That’s the sixth straight game that he’s thrown for over 300 yards.
Mr Rodgers Enters The Neighborhood
While others like Wilson and Allen and even for a brief time early in the season, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, sought to make an MVP case for themselves, Rodgers just carried on quietly doing what he always seems to accomplish.
He’s passed for at least three TDs in seven of Green Bay’s last eight games and in 10 games this season. At 37, Rodgers is the elder statesman trying to run down Mahomes and display that he can still show the kids how it’s done.
Aaron Rodgers yells “I love gold” after the TD. OC Nathaniel Hackett refers to the redzone as the “Gold Zone”. Just connecting dots here but its looking like we have an Austin Powers: Gold Member reference pic.twitter.com/yNSykhqfpt
— Poor Man’s Packers Podcast (@PMPPod) November 15, 2020
His six-yard TD scamper against the Lions was the 30th of Rodgers’ career. That broke a tie with Tobin Rote for the most by a QB in Packers history.
As he reached the end zone, Rodgers leaned back and bellowed “I love gold.” That could be out of respect for the team colors. Or perhaps he’s a fan of Austin Powers villain Goldmember.
Mahomes vs Rodgers
Both the Chiefs (AFC West) and Packers (NFC North) clinched divisional titles with their Sunday victories. It’s the fifth straight title for Kansas City and second in a row for Green Bay.
Most Valuable Player? 🤔#HaveADay | @Packers | @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/Y1Me0AeNFs
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2020
Rodgers was the NFL MVP in 2011 and again in 2014. If you break down the analysis to raw numbers, a strong case can be made that he should win his third MVP in 2020.
Aaron Rodgers vs Patrick Mahomes
| 10-3 | W-L | 12-1 |
| 39-4 | TD/INT | 33-5 |
| 283.4 | Passing Yardage Per Game | 323.6 |
| 119.7 | Passer Rating | 112.3 |
| 84.8 | QBR | 84.7 |
| 8.2 | Average Yards Per Attempt | 8.5 |
| 69.6 | Completion Percentage | 68.4 |
Currently, Rodgers leads the NFL in TD passes (39), QBR (84.7) and passer rating (119.7). Mahomes is the league leader in passing yardage (4,208) and passing yards per game (323.6).
He also leads in what coaches will tell you is the most important category. That would be his 12 wins.
Patrick Mahomes has 2,309 Pass yards in his last 6 games/
According to @EliasSports that's the most in any 6-game span in NFL history
The previous record: 2,276 by Drew Brees in 2012-13 seasons. pic.twitter.com/CkgvFYHyfC
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 13, 2020
The thing is, Mahomes is the clubhouse leader. He’s out front. That means he needs to falter significantly to fall behind Rodgers.
The door was opened Sunday to make that happen. Mahomes stepped up and closed it before the damage could be done.
Pick: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (-250).
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.
