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Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Carson Wentz Lead Betting Odds for 2018 NFL MVP
June 13, 2018
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the early favorite to win the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2018 NFL season.
On Wednesday, OddsShark provided updated betting lines for the league's top individual honor. Rodgers (7-1) is followed by the New England Patriots' Tom Brady (8-1), Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz (10-1) and Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson (12-1) on the QB-heavy list.
The offense-first, pass-oriented style of play in the NFL is on full display in the odds.
The top 20 players on the list are quarterbacks, which means nearly two-thirds of the league's starting signal-callers are favored over any player at another position to win MVP.
Three running backs—Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers), Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams) and David Johnson (Arizona Cardinals)—are tied at 40-1 for the best odds among non-QBs.
Rodgers' candidacy is bolstered by the Packers' struggles without him last season. They went 4-3 in games the two-time MVP started and 3-6 while he was sidelined with a fractured collarbone.
The 34-year-old California native will open the 2018 campaign without wide receiver Jordy Nelson, his longtime favorite target, who signed with the Oakland Raiders after getting released in March.
"This is a professional environment, but as humans we have personal connections to people," Rodgers told reporters. "Obviously, he was one of my closest friends in the locker room for a number of years. We played together for a long time and talked about really finishing his career here and together. ... But the organization is making decisions that they feel like are in best interest for our team, and you've got to trust the process."
Houston Texans edge-rusher J.J. Watt is the only defensive player on the preseason MVP list, checking in at 100-1 odds.