2020-21 NFL MVP: Latest Odds and Predictions Following Week 17

Week 17 wrapped Sunday, and a number of NFL MVP candidates made final additions to their respective resumes.

Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes to help lead the Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes as the Bills nabbed the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for 250 yards as the Titans held off the Houston Texans to win the AFC South.

All three stars will begin preparations for the playoffs. They also all have arguments as to why they deserve MVP honors.

Here is a closer look at the latest NFL MVP odds for some of the top stars, as well as predictions regarding the player most likely to come out on top.

NFL MVP Odds

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

2020-21 NFL MVP Odds   

(All odds via FanDuel)   

1. Aaron Rodgers -3000 (bet $100 to win $3.33)

2. Josh Allen +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000)

3. Patrick Mahomes +1400

4. Derrick Henry +5000

5. Ryan Tannehill +10000

6. Davante Adams +30000

Aaron Rodgers

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

There is a good reason Rodgers is the favorite to win his third NFL MVP Award.

The Green Bay Packers signal-caller leads the NFL in touchdowns (48) while throwing just five interceptions and helping the Packers to a 13-3 mark.

Rodgers has been remarkably efficient despite a receiving corps that was slightly underwhelming outside of Davante Adams. Offensive weapons like Aaron Jones and Allen Lazard both missed some time, and yet it did not seem to matter one bit.

The 37-year-old leads all passers in total QBR, per ESPN, and completed over 70 percent of his pass attempts. 

Perhaps Green Bay's decision to select Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft lit a fire under Rodgers. In any case, he is the favorite to capture the MVP.

Josh Allen

John Munson/Associated Press

Josh Allen made big strides in his sophomore campaign, leading the 10-6 Bills to the playoffs while throwing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for nine touchdowns.

But the 24-year-old's improvement in Year 2 was nothing compared to the massive leap he made this season.

Buffalo was aggressive in trading for former Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Stefon Diggs at the start of free agency. The Diggs trade paid big dividends, including for Allen individually.

Allen threw for over 4,500 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He completed over 69 percent of his passes, far eclipsing last year's 58.8 percent completion rate. Diggs was a major beneficiary, leading the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535). The star wideout gave Allen a marquee target on the outside, with Cole Beasley putting up big numbers from the slot. 

The former Wyoming standout also rushed for 418 yards and eight scores, and he still showed a willingness to fight for extra yards and put his body on the line despite his comfort in airing it out.

Patrick Mahomes

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Patrick Mahomes was so explosive in steering the Kansas City Chiefs to a 14-1 start, the team wrapped up the No. 1 seed and chose to sit the star quarterback in Week 17.

The 2018 NFL MVP led the NFL in passing yards (4,740) before a big day by Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson resulted in him grabbing the top spot in that category. Mahomes also tossed 38 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and ranked second in total QBR behind Rodgers, per ESPN. 

While Mahomes might not have some of the eye-popping touchdown numbers of Rodgers, winning speaks for itself. He was 14-1 as Kansas City's starter, orchestrating three fourth-quarter comebacks and three-game winning drives over the course of the season. Mahomes is now 38-8 as Kansas City's starter, including 25-4 in the past two years.

How will voters prioritize? If winning comes first, it is hard to argue against Mahomes, who continues to show there is just about nothing he can't do on a football field.

Derrick Henry

Sam Craft/Associated Press

No running back has won NFL MVP since 2012, when Adrian Peterson rushed for nearly 2,100 yards as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Perhaps it is fitting, then, that another 2,000-yard rusher could break the mold.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry captured his second straight rushing title in style Sunday, gashing the Houston Texans for 250 yards and a pair of scores. Even more notably, Henry became just the eighth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing in a single season. 

The accomplishment is indeed tremendous, though it might not even speak to Henry's growing penchant as a big-game performer.

Sunday marked the second time he rushed for over 200 yards against the Texans, and this time he did it with a division title at stake. Henry rushed for the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. The following week, he had 178 yards and three rushing touchdowns to lead the Titans over the Indianapolis Colts in a win that gave Tennessee a grip over the AFC South.

Henry averaged close to 127 rushing yards per game. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (17) and was an absolute workhorse for the Titans.

If a running back is to break the QB streak, Henry is most likely.

NFL MVP Predictions

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

This is a loaded field of MVP candidates. We did not even address the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Davante Adams and Alvin Kamara, each of whom also have cases.

Henry might deserve the award as much as anyone because of how he opens up the passing game and had some of his best performances in the biggest moments. But Tannehill's own excellence could also hurt his candidacy slightly, in spite of the fact he made history.

Thus, it is all the more likely a quarterback will again take home the honors. While both Allen and Mahomes had terrific seasons, Rodgers should end up with the MVP.

Rodgers' numbers are exceptional enough. The efficiency is something Packers fans have grown accustomed to, though it is all the more astounding considering the somewhat thin talent pool Green Bay has at the receiver position. Of course, it also helps he led the team to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. 

In any case, the Chico, California, native could become just the sixth player in history with three or more MVP Awards to his name.

All stats obtained via Pro Football Reference, unless otherwise noted.    

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