The NFL’s MVP award is the most prestigious trophy for individuals in the league, an award given to the player deemed most valuable to their franchise during the regular season. The MVP award is a source of much speculation, and betting on who will win it is one of the most popular forms of NFL betting in Canada.
It isn’t always the player oddsmakers have pegged as the favorite who takes home the trophy. It can often be players who are slept on and not given the best odds of winning. Let’s look at some players who are currently underrated by oddsmakers that could shock the world by winning MVP next season.
Tua Tagovailoa (+2000)
Tua Tagovailoa showed why he was a top-five pick last season, playing exceptional football when healthy. He led the NFL in QBR and yards-per-attempt and threw 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions. Injuries were a massive problem, but some of that must be chalked up to bad luck. He has one of the best receiving corps in the league with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and an improved defense. If the Dolphins are an elite team, which many think they will be, and Tagovailoa maintains his performance, he could very well win the award.
Justin Fields (+2200)
Justin Fields has led a talent-deficient Bears roster in his two seasons as a starter and still showed flashes of being a special talent. If he can improve his passing performance with a better group of receivers led by offseason addition D.J. Moore and can stay upright behind a revamped offensive line, he will be dangerous. Expectations are not high for the Bears, but if Fields leads them to a surprising season and expands upon his historic rushing pace of last season with a better dual-threat game, voters will certainly take note.
Jared Goff (+3300)
Many buried Goff’s career after he was traded to the Detroit Lions, but instead, he has rebuilt his reputation. He was one of the league’s most prolific passers last season, particularly in the latter half of the year. The Lions play a fast-paced, up-tempo offense that suits Goff, and many think they are a real contender in the NFC this year. He will be the head of the snake behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. It would make for a great story if Goff was able to earn the strongest recognition a player can receive after being left for dead in the trade from L.A.
Russell Wilson (+4000)
Wilson is being slept on by oddsmakers here because he is aging and coming off the worst season of his NFL career. Wilson and the Broncos were a massive disappointment last season, but they made a major upgrade in the coaching staff by bringing in one of the game’s best quarterback whisperers in Sean Payton. The offense will open up big time, and the Broncos invested in their offensive line. Wilson could return to the elite player he was in Seattle and take the Broncos on a run. That would be a great narrative MVP voters would love.
Justin Jefferson (+10000)
The MVP award almost always goes to quarterbacks, with the last non-quarterback winner coming in 2012. However, if anyone can buck the trend, it is Justin Jefferson. He has had maybe the greatest start to a career of any wide receiver in the history of the league and is coming off a dominant season. If he can make history this year by breaking the 2,000-yard mark, voters would have no choice but to hand him the trophy. This might sound difficult, but Jefferson is the type of player that makes the impossible happen.
