Matthew Stafford Favored to Lead NFL in Passing After Week 9, Winston Given +600 Odds

• Matthew Stafford’s odds shorten from +1000 going into Week 9 to +350 heading into Week 10
• Lions quarterback has posted 300 or more passing yards in three straight games
• Tom Brady not in sportsbooks’ Top 10 despite sitting second overall in passing yards this season — is he worth betting on?

Move over Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford is now the favorite to lead the NFL in passing yards heading into Week 10.

Stafford posted 406 passing yards in a Week 9 defeat, which was still enough to make the the Detroit Lions quarterback the top favorite at several sportsbooks on Wednesday.

One sportsbook released its latest odds on which player will lead the NFL in passing yards this season, listing Stafford as the +350 frontrunner going into Week 10. It’s a huge jump from the +1000 line he was given a week earlier, before eventually going on to overtake Goff as the top favorite.

Can Stafford lead the league in passing yards this season? Here’s a look at the latest odds.

Odds on 2019 NFL Leader in Passing Yards

Odds taken Nov. 6

Prior to Week 9, seven other quarterbacks had better odds than Stafford to win the passing yards title, including the injured Patrick Mahomes.

The lines drastically changed following Stafford’s Week 9 performance where he went 26-of-41 with 406 yards passing and three touchdowns in Detroit’s loss to the Oakland Raiders. Stafford’s performance marked the first time he surpassed the 400-passing-yard mark this season and it was the third straight time he had 340 or more passing yards in a single game.

Where does that put Stafford in the overall passing yard ranks?

Stafford Creeping Up On Leaders

Heading into Week 10, Stafford has 2,499 passing yards and sits fourth among starting quarterbacks this season. He’s currently 110 passing yards behind leader Philip Rivers (2,609) with eight games remaining on the schedule.

Stafford has some favourable matchups down the stretch and bettors can expect big offensive games when the Lions face the Cowboys, Redskins and Broncos later in the season.

But is Stafford the best bet at this point to lead the NFL in passing yardage?

There are a couple better options that provide even better value on sportsbooks’ boards going into Week 10.

Goff was the top favorite a week ago but his price slipped from +500 to +700 heading into Week 10. The Los Angeles Rams QB is not even close to leading the league in passing yards, ranking ninth overall with 2,367.

Rivers could become the second straight QB in his late-30s to post the most passing yards, as Ben Roethlisberger accomplished the feat last season. At +600, many bettors will be inclined to put money on Rivers to finish with the most passing yards and based on the Chargers’ schedule the rest of the way, it could very well be the case.

Aside from a Dec. 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Chargers will take on Kansas City’s 21st-ranked defense and Oakland’s 27th-ranked defense twice each down the stretch. These are games Rivers can likely add to his passing yards total to make a serious run late in the regular season.

Philip Rivers was fired up about the @Chargers win over the Packers. pic.twitter.com/9jIP4U1Bpl

— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) November 4, 2019

Other Contenders Going Into Week 10

After Stafford and Rivers, the field is wide open and there will likely be fluctuation in prices as the season progresses. However, another player to watch is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback James Winston.

Often criticized for his inconsistency, Winston still finds himself as a +600 favorite to lead the league in passing yards this season. Winston is 182-for-307 on the season with 2,407 passing yards, which ranks seventh overall. Despite all of Tampa Bay’s struggles, Winston has still been able to rack up the passing yards this season, which is why one sportsbook has him high on their odds board.

"The glass is always full. It might be half-full with water, it’s still full with air."

– Jameis Winston

(via @gregauman)pic.twitter.com/1Mo3GU28UT

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 4, 2019

Winston’s odds shortened after three straight brilliant offensive performances in which he had 400 yards vs Carolina, 301 yards vs Tennessee and 335 vs Seattle — all resulting in losses for the Buccaneers. The numbers are great, but they’ll be hard for Winston to sustain on a weekly basis.

Don’t Count Out Tom Brady at +1400

Tom Brady ranks second overall in passing yards going into Week 10, but the six-time Super Bowl champion is not listed in sportsbooks’ top 10 favorites. Brady, who has 2,536 passing yards through nine weeks of action, comes in at +1400 to finish first in passing yards — a feat he’s accomplished three times in his career with that last time coming in 2017.

.@TomBrady to Lamar Jackson before the game: "Big fan." @Lj_era8 to Tom Brady after the game: "GOAT." ? (via @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/7aRhJEVfCH

— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2019

Brady has had four games this season with 300 or more yards passing in a single game. Brady’s best game of the year was Week 5 in which he torched the Washington defense for 348 passing yards and three touchdowns.

While Stafford will be among the top three candidates to win the passing yards title this season, it will be hard to ignore Rivers’ schedule down the stretch, which should make him the frontrunner to eventually come out on top .

Pick: Philip Rivers (+600)