NFL MVP 2018 Odds: Best Bets Include Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff To Win Football's Top Award

When it comes to candidates for the NFL MVP award for the 2018 season, the usual suspects are at the top of the list. Two-time winner Aaron Rodgers is the favorite, while reigning MVP and three-time winner Tom Brady only has slightly worse betting odds.

It doesn’t make much sense to bet on either Brady or Rodgers because their odds don’t present much value. Carson Wentz could win the award since he was the MVP favorite before tearing his ACL last season, but he’s got even better odds than Brady.

What are some good MVP bets to make with the regular season just a few weeks away? Let’s take a look at three options, given the latest odds, per OddsShark.

Russell Wilson +2000

For the first time since Wilson’s rookie season, the Seattle Seahawks aren’t expected to make the playoffs. That will only help the quarterback’s MVP candidacy. While Brady or Rodgers might need to win more than 10 games to win the award, a winning record and big numbers could generate plenty of first-place votes for Wilson.

Seattle lost various defensive stars—Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor—this offseason. If the Seahawks exceed their low expectations, Wilson will get most of the credit. He led the league with a 110.1 passer rating a few years ago and has thrown for 34 touchdowns in two of the last three seasons. Wilson could rack up even more rushing yards than usual, and making some memorable plays behind a much-maligned offensive line could make him seem like a steal at 20/1 late in the season.

Kirk Cousins +2200

The best quarterback on the best team will almost always be in the MVP conversation, and the Minnesota Vikings might have the most loaded roster of anyone in the NFC. In addition to joining a team that had the NFL’s No.1 defense last season, Cousins has one of the league’s most talented group of playmakers at his disposal. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs totaled more than 2,100 receiving yards in 2017, and running back Dalvin Cook is poised for a big year after recovering from a torn ACL.

Few quarterbacks around the league were more consistent than Cousins during his last three years with the Washington Redskins. He never threw fewer than 25 touchdown passes or more than 13 interceptions, averaging a 97.6 passer rating and 4,392 passing yards. If Cousins can improve those numbers slightly for the conference’s top seed, he’s almost certain to get MVP consideration.

Jared Goff +3300

At better than 30/1, you’re getting great value for a player that might’ve gotten some MVP buzz had Tom Brady not been in the league last year. Goff finished 2017 ranked fifth with a 100.5 passer rating and posted the same touchdown-to-interception ratio as Brady in just his second year. It’s reasonable to assume the quarterback will be better in 2018 as he turns 24 years old, making him a real threat to win the award.

Like Cousins, Goff should benefit from playing for a team with a stellar record. The Los Angeles Rams added the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Marcus Peters to a team that won the NFC West in 2017. Todd Gurley should put up impressive stats, once again, only helping Goff’s cause since running backs rarely get serious MVP consideration.