As we approach the end of the 2024 NFL regular season, there’s still plenty of business to get sorted out in the race for the Playoffs. Of course, we know some of the teams that will be there, including the Chiefs, Lions, Eagles, and Bills, but it gets slightly confusing elsewhere as for individual player awards, that looks a little more clear-cut.
Josh Allen is the clear favorite in the NFL MVP odds, and nobody else will come close. The New York Times recently released an article titled “It’s Josh Allen’s World, and Barkley, Goff, Jackson, and Mahomes Are Just Living In It.” That sums it up, as it will take something seismic to shift the narrative over the next few weeks.
Allen, you would argue, deserves the award this season. There have been teams more impressive in the NFL than the Bills – the Detroit Lions almost certainly – but there has arguably been no individual player more responsible for a team’s success than Allen. Indeed, some have wondered about how much more effective Allen would be if the Bills had an elite receiver.
While it is almost sure that the award will go to Allen, it’s not entirely sewn up yet. Below, we look at the names still mentioned in the betting markets:
Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
We know the guys who vote on the MVP tend to favor quarterbacks, but it’s not always the case. If they look elsewhere, then Barkley could squeak through. The Eagles running back has been outstanding this season, and he’s one of the main reasons there’s talk of the Super Bowl in Philadelphia.
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
As mentioned earlier, the Lions have been the best team in the NFL this season. They have more depth than the Bills, so that’s one of the reasons that Allen looks likely to pip Jared Goff to the MVP award, as Allen tends to be the sole focus with the Bills. That said, Goff has been imperious, and if the Lions continue their excellence to the end of the season, it could give the voters a problem.
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Nobody would doubt Jackson’s quality. The two-time MVP oozes class. Yet, the Raven’s patchy form has probably hampered him this season. You don’t have to give the MVP to a player on a team that dominates, but it helps. It would take something spectacular for Jackson to re-enter the conversation as a serious MVP candidate.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
We feel that Mahomes is listed on the NFL MVP lines of the sportsbooks simply because they feel he should be there. Mahomes has not been bad this season, and the Chiefs are obviously on the way to yet another tilt at the Super Bowl, but there is a sense that neither the quarterback nor his team have moved out of second gear all season.
Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings)
Darnold and the Vikings have had a strange old season. They keep winning together, yet they get little credit for it. His odds of +5,000 suggest that it is doubtful that he will be given the MVP nod this season. Yet, Darnold has been on a career resurgence, and we think he could be in the mix next year should he and the Vikings offense continue on the same trajectory.
