NFL MVP 2018: Drew Brees, Pat Mahomes Or Someone Else? Prediction And Betting Odds For Football's Best Player

It's a two-quarterback race for the MVP award. The Kansas City Chiefs' Pat Mahomes and the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees enter Week 17 as the top candidates to take home the honors and for good reason — their teams have overachieved and their individual numbers are gaudy.

According to betting site BetOnline, Mahomes is the clear favorite at -250, while Brees is listed +170. The two longshots are Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (+1600) and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (+5000).

Mahomes made the leap from "rising star" to "elite quarterback" in a short amount of time. Entering a home game against the lowly Oakland Raiders, Mahomes has thrown 48 touchdowns passes, which is tied for the fourth-most in a single season. It's quite a feat for a player who barely saw the field in 2017.

Mahomes is second in passing yards (4,816) and passer rating (114.0), and it wouldn't be surprising if he finishes first in both categories by the end of Sunday. The Chiefs should beat the Raiders, meaning Kansas City will finish the season with a 12-4 record, which is better than most experts had predicted.

The 23-year-old has also kept the Chiefs competitive despite an inconsistent defense and after the loss of star running back Kareem Hunt. Mahomes has been a dual threat, rushing for 271 yards and two touchdowns.

However, voters might be turned off by Mahomes' 11 interceptions and a pedestrian completion percentage of 66.4. The Chiefs also lost three of their last five games.

Brees is the sentimental pick. The 39-year-old has enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career and won the Super Bowl MVP in his only appearance in the title game. Yet, the league MVP continues to escape him.

Peyton Manning had won the award five times, Tom Brady has won it three times and Aaron Rodgers has won it twice, but Brees somehow has been overlooked despite consistently posting similar passing numbers.

A strong case can be made for Brees this year. The Saints will finish with the league's best record and his individual numbers have been very strong. The 12-time Pro Bowler is tops in passer rating (115.7) and has completed a staggering 74.4 percent of his passes.

What might hurt Brees is competing in an underachieving division and the large role all-purpose back Alvin Kamara has played this season. Brees, who was extremely effective in the first half of the season, also saw his numbers decline in recent weeks, throwing an interception in four consecutive games.

Prediction: Mahomes. It's been a great year for Brees but Mahomes has simply thrown too many touchdown passes and done so much to lift the Chiefs' offense.