NFL MVP 2015-16: Predictions and Odds for League's Highest Honor

With three weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, some of the game's best players are not only trying to keep things rolling toward the postseason, but they're finishing up their resumes as to why they should be this year's MVP. 

This year, it looks like the most likely players that will be up for the award are quarterbacks, as OddsShark.com provides the latest odds as of Dec. 16:

Player	Team	Odds	Passing Yards	TD	INT	Rush Yd.	Rush TD
Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers	1/5	3,062	28	10	480	7
Tom Brady	New England Patriots	7/2	4,183	33	6	55	3
Carson Palmer	Arizona Cardinals	12/1	4,003	31	9	24	1
Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks	12/1	3,289	26	7	456	1

Tom Brady is having another Tom Brady-like season, leading the league in passing and touchdown passes even though he's had to deal with a group of receivers that have been battling the injury bug. 

Another veteran is in the discussion, though he was not expected to be in the MVP considerations. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has finally found his niche in Arizona after stints in Cincinnati and Oakland. At 36, he's on pace for a career high in receiving yards and touchdown passes as the Cardinals have become a very dangerous team in the NFC. 

To the younger quarterbacks in the conversation, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been on fire as of late, throwing 16 touchdown passes in his last four games. He helped the two-time defending NFC champions overcome a slow start and are now sitting comfortably in an NFC wild-card spot. 

However, they're all just finalists in my book, as the MVP plays in Carolina. 

Predicting the MVP

Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

It's only natural that the quarterback of an undefeated team should garner considerable MVP consideration. Especially after the roller-coaster ride Cam Newton has been on. 

Before this season started, Newton had a career 30-31-1 record in Carolina, making the playoffs twice, though 2014 saw his team win the NFC South with a 5-8-1 record. 

The NFL takes a look at his MVP case:

Newton has been unstoppable this season, already setting a career high in touchdowns and on pace for a career low in interceptions. While the Panthers passing game hasn't been the strongest this season and Newton's completion percentage is a very low 59.1 percent, he has been able to facilitate an offense that has relied on the run. 

Carolina has the second-best rushing unit in the league, and Newton has helped the cause with his dual-threat running abilities. But he also comes to play in the clutch, finding ways to win and coming up big during crunch time, which is the mark of any good quarterback. 

He has a higher fourth-quarter completion percentage than Brady, Wilson, Palmer and any other quarterback in the league, for that matter. His play has also improved as the season has progressed. In his past four games, the's thrown 13 touchdowns to just one interception.

Add that to the fact that he's been without his No. 1 receiver in Kelvin Benjamin all season, and it's even more impressive. Without Newton, the Panthers would not be anywhere near 13-0, which truly makes him the most valuable player. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com