NFL MVP Betting Odds: Can Drew Brees Catch Up To Patrick Mahomes?

The two-man race for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award appears to be all but settled in the eyes of Las Vegas oddsmakers. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains a minus-money favorite for the award after finishing the regular season with passing marks only previously reached by two future Hall of Famers.

The latest odds from OddsShark have Mahomes at -250 odds to win the MVP award. The only other candidate is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, with +170 odds. The second-year, 23-year-old quarterback eclipsed 5,000 yards and threw for 50 touchdowns in his first year as a starter.

The only other quarterback to do both of those things in one season was Peyton Manning in 2013. Tom Brady also threw for 50 touchdowns in 2007, but did not reach 5,000 yards. Manning and Brady took home MVP awards in those respective seasons.

The Chiefs signal caller’s odds to win grew slightly after Week 17, but the overall outlook did not change much. Brees did not play in the Saints’ loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, as New Orleans had already wrapped up the top seed in the NFC. Mahomes had an extra game to reach those passing milestones, as the Chiefs needed to win to improve playoff seeding.

The 39-year-old Saints stalwart threw for 3,992 yards, 32 touchdowns and only five interceptions on the season. He set an NFL record with a 74.4 percent completion rate. Once the MVP frontrunner, Brees took a slide in the eyes of oddsmakers after a series of mediocre performances in late November and December.