Happy Thursday football fans. Welcome back to our weekly discussion about the players in the running for the NFL MVP award. A week ago, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson rounded out this list. Here’s a little spoiler alert.
Given the fact that Mahomes and Jackson squared off this past week, the list could look a bit different. So, without further delay, here’s a look at the players with the best MVP odds following their performances in Week 3.
Third-Best NFL MVP Odds: Aaron Rodgers (+700). Last week (unranked)
Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers is making his first appearance on our weekly list. Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Rodgers. Green Bay was the cream of the crop from an offensive standpoint heading into its Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Not only that, but they were averaging 42.5 points per contest.
While the Packers failed to reach that 40-point plateau, they still came away with a 37-30 victory after scoring 10 points in the final nine minutes. Even more important, they remained unbeaten. In that contest, Rodgers threw for 283 yards to go along with three touchdowns, increasing hit touchdown pass total to nine.
Second-Best NVL MVP Odds: Patrick Mahomes (+250). Last Week’s Odds (+500)
Patrick Mahomes was third on our list a week but has crept up to the No. 2 spot. In the Chiefs’ first two games, the offense was somewhat out of sorts. However, that trend changed in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Chiefs’ defense limited Lamar Jackson to just 97 passing yards – his lowest passing total of the season – Mahomes had his way with Baltimore’s defense. He completed 31 of 42 passes for 385 yards to go along with four touchdowns and a passer rating of 133.5.
Best NFL MVP Odds: Russell Wilson (+175). Last Week’s Odds (+300)
For the second consecutive week, Russell Wilson has the best MVP odds, and rightfully so. In the Week 2 win over the New England Patriots, Wilson recorded five touchdowns against one interception. If you thought that outing was an anomaly, though, you’d be mistaken. In the Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Russell was cooking once again.
He completed 27 of 40 passes for 315 yards. And for the second straight outing, he threw five touchdown passes, bumping up his TD total to 14 on the season. All eyes will continue to be Mahomes and Jackson, being that they’ve won the award the last two seasons, but Russell is showing why this race may not be as clear cut as most of us thought.
