4 days Ago
A Josh Allen NFL MVP feels like it's only a matter of time, right? After all, Charles Barkley won the NBA MVP when Michael Jordan dominated. Sure, Sir Charles never won a title but the Round Mound of Rebounding did not get boxed out of all the hardware. The Buffalo Bills quarterback is now the +125 betting favorite at FanDuel, following Buffalo's 30-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in this season's most hyped game to date.
Patrick Mahomes has still won all three playoff matchups so this result was far from a passing of the torch. However, it could become a significant chapter in Allen's MVP campaign. Lamar Jackson had held the favorite status over the last couple weeks but the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers a few hours before Allen sealed Buffalo's win on a fourth down touchdown run.
Jackson is now the second favorite with +200 odds. After that is a dropoff to Jared Goff (+800), Mahomes (+1200) and Jalen Hurts (+1700). A quarterback has won this award in 11 straight years, paralleling the league's emphasis on passing and scoring.
During this stretch, the MVP quarterback has led a top-two seed in either conference, while also posting impressive statistics. Allen and the Bills improved to 9-2, and only the Chiefs and Detroit Lions have a better record at 9-1. Buffalo has the ninth-easiest remaining schedule and likely has only two games in which they will be either an underdog or favored by less than three points.
That positions Allen well to finish with one of the league's top records. Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Meanwhile, only a few quarterbacks of teams expected to contend for the top seeds can truly challenge Allen. Mahomes has underwhelmed statistically.
Jackson already has four losses and may also be a victim of voter fatigue by being the reigning MVP. Jared Goff has a path but he is not considered an elite quarterback, which could impact a voting narrative. The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are 8-2 but Jalen Hurts and Kirk Cousins face plenty of resistance right now.
Buffalo heads now into the bye and then hosts the San Francisco 49ers..
