It’s that time of the year where the NFL is preparing for the season and NFL bettors are handicapping futures. Other than the Super Bowl, the most debated football futures bet is on the NFL MVP Award.

Last year was one of the most heated MVP races in many years. It was also one of the most hotly debated topics on all of the sports talk shows. I leaned on the side of Josh Allen due to doing more with less than Lamar Jackson. And, our NFL pick for this prestigious award scored us some winnings.

This year, it already seems like a heated race and we haven’t even touched regular season as of this writing. However, the talking heads and fans have already been at each other’s throats over which player will win the NFL MVP Award for the 2025-26 NFL season.

You have your Jackson camp and Allen camp, but there’s also a large voice calling for Patrick Mahomes to win another MVP Award after a “down” season last year.

And, let’s not forget Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels are also breathing down the necks of the betting favorites, according to the latest NFL odds for the MVP award. Without any further delay, let’s break down this battle for the MVP Award and make our NFL MVP predictions.

When Is The NFL MVP Announced?

The NFL MVP Award is announced during Super Bowl week at the NFL Honors ceremony. This live awards show will be held in February 2026, in the Bay Area. Super Bowl 60 will take place at Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, which is located in Santa Clara, California.

Who Won The NFL MVP in 2025?

As mentioned above, the 2025 NFL MVP race was a hotly contested and ferociously debated topic throughout the season. In the end, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen won his first MVP Award by narrowly edging out Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.

Allen finished with 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23. Allen scored a total of 378 to Jackson’s 352. While, there have been ties and closer finishes in the voting, this race was very divisive among the NFL fans, pundits, and commentators.

One thing we can all agree on, Allen’s MVP Award speech was very classy and showed why he’s Western New York’s favorite son.

NFL MVP Odds

Check out the latest NFL MVP odds, courtesy of the best sports betting sites.

As you can see by the betting lines above, Lamar Jackson is the odds-on favorite to win the upcoming NFL MVP Award. He’s slightly ahead of a trio of superstars in Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. However, there are a number of players that provide decent value at the time of this writing. We’ll breakdown some of them in the sections below.

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NFL MVP Favorites

The following is a list of NFL players who are considered the odds-on favorites to win the NFL MVP Award:

Lamar Jackson (+500)      

Lamar Jackson might have lost out on last year’s MVP Award but he’s the favorite heading into this season and rightfully so.

Jackson is arguably the most dynamic player in the league. Additionally, his Baltimore Ravens team could also be the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Conference this year.

Jackson finished last season with 4,172 passing yards, 41 TDs, and 4 INTs. It was the most prolific passing performance of his career. He also tallied 914 rushing yards with four TDs. Jackson and King Henry formed one of the most lethal rushing duos in the league.

Jackson’s evolution as a passer was on display last year, and it has made him a real threat to pick up his third MVP Award this year.

Josh Allen (+600)

Josh Allen won his first MVP Award last year after coming close a few times. He was 2^nd in 2020, despite having a better statistical season than last year. Allen was also third in 2022 and 5^th in 2023. Allen rushed for 531 yards and 12 TDs, as well. He finished with 40 total touchdowns and 3,731 passing yards.

Sure, his numbers were less than Jackson’s and Joe Burrow’s, but Allen did more with less. Heading into the season, the Buffalo Bills were widely considered to take a step back and lose the AFC East to the Jets or Dolphins.

Not only did that not happen, the Bills won their 5^th consecutive divisional title and were one of the first teams to wrap up their division. Allen’s supporting cast was well-below Jackson’s as he didn’t have won receiver or tight end considered to be a true no.1 catcher.

He did have James Cook, but his great season was still overshadowed by King Henry in Baltimore. Any way you slice this pie, Allen did more with less and earned the MVP Award last year.

This year is a different story. The expectations will be high for the team and for Allen. Can he win a second MVP in a row?

Joe Burrow (+600)

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow led the NFL last season in passing yards (4,918 yards) and passing TDs (43). He also had a solid 108.5 rating. Unfortunately, his Bengals team failed to make the Playoffs and barely finished above .500 for the season. Both of those results hurt his MVP chances last year.

And, yet, Burrow still finished 4^th in the MVP voting. That tied his personal best mark from 2022 where he had less yards and TDs on the season.

This year, the Bengals offense is poised to be one of the 10 best. Burrow has the best receiving duo in the league with Chase and Higgins. He also has a dynamic running game to help balance out the offense as Brown came on strong in the second half of the season.

Burrow is clearly one of the best QBs in the NFL. Yet his team fails to measure up to other AFC powerhouses like the Ravens, Bills, and Chiefs. Will this be the year that Burrow finally breaks through?

Patrick Mahomes (+600)

Like Jackson, Patrick Mahomes is a two-time NFL MVP winner. He took the award in 2018 and 2022. Last year, Mahomes had his worst statistical season since becoming a full-time starter in 2018. Yet, he still finished 6^th in the MVP race.

Mahomes threw for a career low 3928 yards and tied his lowest passing touchdown mark at 26 TDs. It was the second lowest rating (93.5) and QBR (67.6) of his illustrious career.

The Chiefs faced a number of injuries to their offense last year, which significantly hurt Mahomes’ regular season numbers. With that said, he’s going to have everyone back this year including Rice, Brown, and Kelce.

When Mahomes had his arsenal of receiving weapons fully healthy for the season, he ended up winning the MVP Award in 2022. Could we see Mahomes pick up his third MVP this year?

Best NFL MVP Betting Value

The following players offer solid betting value for this NFL futures bet:

Jayden Daniels (+850)

I, like most people, was shocked by Jayden Daniels breakout performance last year. The rookie ended up becoming one of the most exciting players in the NFL along with being the closest thing to Lamar Jackson. He finished the season with 3,568 yards, 25 TDs, and 9 INTs for a 100.1 rating.

Yet, it was his poise in the Playoffs that showed why this kid is going to be a superstar. He led the Washington Commanders to a shocking appearance in the NFC Championship game.

In my opinion, Daniels should be tied with the quartet of AFC QBs in NFL odds for this MVP Award. He’s that dynamic and that important to his team.

I see his odds shrinking quickly after he gets off to a fast start on the season. I also expect the Commanders to be a real threat in the NFC this year.

Jared Goff (+2500)

Jared Goff has become an elite QB playing for the Detroit Lions. His last three seasons have seen an average of at least 4,500 passing yards and 30 TDs. Last year, Goff put up his best numbers of 4,629 yards, 37 TDs, 12 INTs, and a 111.8 rating. However, it only got him 5^th in the MVP voting.

Yet, no other Top 5 MVP vote-getter has odds this large. It’s crazy to think that Goff could finish so high in the MVP race last year, but be so low in the odds for the Award this year.

Sure, the Lions lost Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson which could have an impact on the offense. However, they still have all of the same elite talent on this side of the ball. And, their defense will be healthy, improved and ferocious. That means more opportunities for Goff and this offense.

Bo Nix (+3500)

Bo Nix was overshadowed by Jayden Daniels last year. Yet, the rookie QB put up big numbers in Denver last season as he threw for 3,775 yards, 29 TDs, 12 INTs and a 93.3 rating. He also rushed for 430 yards and 4 TDs.

The Denver Broncos will come into this season with an improved supporting cast as they added veteran playmakers to the offense in Evan Engram and JK Dobbins. They also drafted some young, athletic talent. Defensively, the Broncos could be the best in the league.

Nix is poised for another big year. In fact, it could rival Daniels’ upcoming season. Let’s not forget that Nix also made the Playoffs in his rookie year and could duplicate that success this season, as well.

For a dynamic, dual threat QB, that his coach says will be one of the best in the league over the next few seasons, +3500 odds seem like a steal.

Top NFL MVP Longshot

These players are worthy of consideration to take a flier on as longshots for the NFL MVP Award:

Saquon Barkley (+5000)

Saquon Barkley had a historic season last year; his first with the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished with 2,005 rushing yards, led the league in rushing, and added 33 receptions for 278 yards and two TDs. He also finished third in the MVP race as Barkley became the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Barkley played in 16 games and had 11 100-yard performances. Had six multi-touchdown games and became the third running back in NFL history to have four TDs of 60 yards or longer.

The talented running back was a key factor in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl last year as he gave them the running game that they desperately needed to get over the Chiefs.

So, for a running back that accomplished so much last year, it’s surprising to see his odds this high. Barkley is definitely worthy of a small flier.

Drake Maye (+6600)

We all know that this MVP Award is considered to be a quarterback award. That’s why the majority of odds-on favorites, and past winners, are QBs.

So, when I was scrolling through the odds, I saw Drake Maye listed at a staggering +6600. Maye flashed potential last year as a rookie. And, he did it on one of the worst teams in the league.

Maye finished with 2,276 yards, 15 TDs and 10 INTs. Those numbers aren’t impressive, but he was in a lame-duck offense without any supporting talent.

The Patriots fired their coaching staff, brought in Mike Vrabel as the new head coach, and added Josh McDaniels as the Offensive Coordinator. McDaniels might not be head-coach material, but he’s a great OC.

Additionally, the Patriots made some moves on the offensive side of the ball as they added a few offensive linemen, drafted the dynamic Ohio State RB Trayveon Williams, and brought in free agent WR Stefon Diggs. This team is pushing their chips all in for Maye.

The Patriots success this season will come down to how well Maye plays. And, I expect the sophomore QB to take a big step towards becoming a Top 10 quarterback in this league.

NFL MVP Award Predictions

The best approach for this NFL futures bet, is to take one or two swings at it during the Preseason and then waiting until the halfway mark of the Regular Season to pick your candidate. This gives you plenty of time to see if any of the favorites separate from the pack.

And, make no mistake about it, this arms race will be a thrilling one. The four favorites are all in the AFC and will all compete against each other for a spot in the Super Bowl.

With the expectations high for Josh Allen this season, I don’t see the QB winning the MVP for a second straight year. Sure, Allen will meet those expectations, but he’s not going to put up better overall stats than Lamar Jackson.

Speaking of Jackson, the AFC North title will play heavily into his chances of picking up a third MVP Award. If the Ravens win the division, then I believe he will be at the top of the betting boards. However, if Joe Burrow and the Bengals win it, then I see Jackson sliding down.

Josh Allen is one of my favorite players in the league, along with Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons to name a few. So, it pains me not to pick him. I also really want to pick Jackson to win this as I’ve been a fan of his since college.

However, I am leaning towards Patrick Mahomes to win the MVP, at the time of this writing. Mahomes and the Chiefs will be highly motivated to reclaim their spot as the league champions.

Furthermore, he’ll have a healthy Rice back in the lineup. Brown and Worthy will stretch the field for Kelce underneath. And, I expect this offensive line to play better than the last time we saw them.

I think this all equates to Mahomes having a huge statistical season along with the Chiefs finishing with the best record in the AFC, once again.

Bet: Patrick Mahomes (+600)

NFL MVP Award Winners

The following is a list of the most recent NFL MVP winners: