Super Bowl 52: Eagles vs. Patriots MVP Favorites and Stat Predictions
January 30, 2018
The Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate prize, but the individual players on the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will also be competing Sunday for the glory and recognition that comes with being named the game's MVP.
Nobody is more familiar with that honor than Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who Nate Peterson of CBS Sports noted won a record fourth Super Bowl MVP—surpassing the three from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana—last season while directing a comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons.
Peterson also pointed out a defensive player has won Super Bowl MVP just 10 times compared to 28 times for quarterbacks, something gamblers can keep in mind when it comes time to place their bets.
With that in mind, here is a look at the Super Bowl MVP favorites, per OddsShark on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET, as well as predictions for the winner and stat lines of notable players.
Super Bowl MVP Odds
Tom Brady: 10-11
Nick Foles: 13-4
Rob Gronkowski: 9-1
Dion Lewis: 18-1
Danny Amendola: 18-1
Jay Ajayi: 18-1
Zach Ertz: 20-1
Alshon Jeffery: 22-1
Brandin Cooks: 22-1
LeGarrette Blount: 33-1
Fletcher Cox: 33-1
James White: 40-1
Notable Statistic Predictions for Patriots
Tom Brady: 325 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception
Rob Gronkowski: six catches for 87 yards and one touchdown
Dion Lewis: 39 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards and one touchdown catch
Danny Amendola: five catches for 68 yards
Brandin Cooks: seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown
James White: 29 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards
Notable Statistic Predictions for Eagles
Nick Foles: 286 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions
Jay Ajayi: 78 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards
Zach Ertz: five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown
Alshon Jeffery: seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown
LeGarrette Blount: 49 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
MVP Prediction: Tom Brady
It must first be noted the prediction here is the Patriots will prevail. Since Peterson pointed out only Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley has won Super Bowl MVP on the losing side—in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts—that largely narrows the list to New England players.
It is difficult envisioning a scenario where the Patriots win the Lombardi Trophy and Brady isn't the MVP.
For one, nobody on the Patriots ran for more than 900 yards this season, underscoring their tendency to use multiple backs throughout a game. That makes it all the more difficult for an individual running back to accumulate the statistics necessary to challenge for the game's MVP.
What's more, any production the receivers put up will also go to Brady's stat line. The AFC Championship Game presented a scenario where a receiver played the role of hero when Danny Amendola caught two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Brady was still the heroic quarterback who found him.
The five-time champion will also have the opportunity to face an Eagles secondary that was a middling 17th in the league in passing yards allowed per game this season. Considering he just threw for 290 yards, two scores and zero interceptions against Jacksonville's top-ranked secondary, Brady should find a way to turn heads in Sunday's Super Bowl against a weaker defense.
As a result, he will capture his sixth ring and fifth Super Bowl MVP, adding to what already stands as the record.