Super Bowl 53 MVP Odds: Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes Favorites Before Playoffs

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is the favorite to win the Super Bowl 53 MVP award, but Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes is hot on his heels.

BetOnline (h/t B/R Betting) lists Brees at 7-2, while Mahomes is 4-1:

Brees had 36 touchdowns (32 passing, four rushing) and completed a league-high 74.4 percent of his passes in 15 games. The 13-3 Saints earned the NFC's No. 1 seed.

Mahomes threw a league-high 50 touchdown passes and finished first in adjusted passing yards per attempt, according to Pro Football Reference. The 12-4 Chiefs captured the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Brees won the Super Bowl MVP in 2010 when he and the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. He went 32-of-39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

That appearance stands as Brees' only Super Bowl berth, but he has a good shot at returning. The Saints have home-field advantage until the Super Bowl, and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome has been particularly kind to them this year. The Saints won six of their first seven home games and sat key starters (including Brees) in a season-closing loss.

Mahomes is the clear obstacle standing in Brees' way for a Super Bowl MVP, especially considering he led the Chiefs to their first No. 1 seed since 1997. The electric second-year quarterback out of Texas Tech stunned fans with previously inconceivable throws, like this no-look pass against the Baltimore Ravens:

Mahomes clearly has the NFL's best arm, which should go a long way toward a successful postseason run. Furthermore, the Chiefs have also enjoyed great home-field success, going 7-1 at Arrowhead Stadium. Their only loss was a heartbreaking 29-28 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) in which the Chiefs were up 28-14 in the fourth quarter. Kansas City has home-field advantage this season by virtue of its No. 1 seed.

We'll see if Brees and Mahomes face off in the Super Bowl to decide who the likely MVP will be, but until then, the Saints and Chiefs have to get there first. Both teams have wild-card weekend off before hosting games in the divisional round. Their opponents are yet to be determined.