Who Will Be the 2014 NFL MVP?
Peyton Manning is the current favorite to win MVP honors.
If the long hot summer without football is getting to you, and if the lure of the Canadian Football League isn’t exactly alluring, you’ll be glad to know that we’re just 44 days away from the 2014 NFL Season kickoff game.
On September 4, the Green Bay Packers will make the journey to the Pacific Northwest to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in a Thursday night curtain-raiser from CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
Ahead of that, there’s still plenty of betting action to be had.
Just over two weeks ago we took a look at the updated NFL Futures, which were spearheaded by the Seahawks and Denver Broncos. As things currently stand, the Broncos have edged into top spot with online sportsbook Bovada.
Check out the latest NFL Futures
Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is a sensible bet for MVP.
Picking a Super Bowl winner isn’t the only betting action on offer either.
Right now, Bovada has a prop bet running for the 2014 NFL MVP.
Here’s a rundown of the top 10 players featuring on that list.
1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Odds: 3/1 – The five time league MVP and 2013 recipient of the award currently paces all other players, at least in the eyes of the bookmakers. Can Manning have another record-breaking year in the Mile High City?
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Odds: 6/1 – The 2012 MVP, Rodgers has become a dead cert to post big numbers while the Packers are always a threat to make the playoffs. That’s as good a combination as you can get when looking to determine the league’s best player.
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Odds: 15/2 – Brees returned to form last season following the whole ‘Bountygate’ debacle, and were it not for the Saints’ miserable road record could have been in the running for the honor last season. Brees is always a good bet for the MVP.
4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Odds: 9/1 – Some prognosticators suggest that Brady’s best days are behind him – the Patriots haven’t won a Super Bowl in nearly 10 years – but the New England triggerman has to be considered a threat, which means he has to be considered an MVP contender.
5. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Odds: 12/1 – The Colts took a risk by letting Peyton Manning go but that risk was well and truly rewarded by Luck’s performance over the past two years. The former Stanford man looks set to improve again, which makes him at least a viable pick for the MVP.
6. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Odds: 20/1 – Cutler’s position on this list is somewhat surprising for a pair of reasons. Firstly, the quarterback hasn’t exactly been a poster boy for staying healthy. Secondly, while the team’s pass protection improved a year ago, the team’s still suspect when it comes to looking after its QB. Maybe all that changes this season.
7. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Odds: 20/1 – You might think that the quarterback of a Super Bowl winning team might be in the running as the favorite for MVP honors the following season, but apparently Vegas isn’t sold on Wilson. With a tough-as-nails running game and that defense, it makes sense that Wilson might not be the shining star on his own team. But then again…
8. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
Odds: 22/1 – With the Seahawks taking the limelight from the Niners in the NFC West, Colin Kaepernick looks less of a prospect for bettors considering the MVP award.
9. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Odds: 25/1 – The first player on Bovada’s list not to play quarterback, Peterson will be looking to have a bounce back year and repeat his success of 2012, the year he was awarded the MVP. Picking a running back is always a risk for a bettor, but a calculated one; the position has won the second most awards.
10. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Odds: 25/1 – No wide receiver has ever won the NFL MVP Award, at least not the AP version of it (Jerry Rice did win the Newspaper Enterprise Association version of the award in 1987). Johnson’s gaudy numbers make him the leading candidate to do so, but the Lions’ recent woes means he’d have to be considered a (very) long shot. Can Johnson and Matt Stafford (see below) turn this thing around.
In case you’re wondering: Johnny Manziel is 150/1 to win the MVP award in his rookie season.
Other observations
Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions), Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles) and Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins) join Peterson and Johnson with 25/1 odds of winning the 2014 NFL MVP award.
Cleveland Browns rookie Johnny Manziel is considered 150/1 to win the award (tied 33rd).
All four active former MVPs (Manning, Rodgers, Brady, Peterson) successfully made Bovada’s top 10.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning – a two-time Super Bowl MVP – is considered just 66/1 to win the MVP award. Could the younger Manning be a sleeper bet here?
Remember when Lawrence Taylor took home the award in 1986? Well, Bovada’s list currently features no defensive players.
