Favorite, sleeper, and long shot 49ers for Super Bowl MVP

The San Francisco 49ers are 1.5-point underdogs against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. The Chiefs get some edge in the competition for the MVP award, but plenty of 49ers still have a solid opportunity if things break right for the team.

The quarterback position has dominated the award over the past 53 years, with 29 winners to date. It’s no surprise then that Jimmy Garoppolo leads the 49ers candidates and is second only to Patrick Mahomes for the award in betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The starting quarterback on the favored team will have the shortest odds and with such short odds, the quarterback for the underdog team has the second best odds.

Below is a full list of 49ers players available on the odds list. It shows what odds opened up after the Conference Championship games, and what they are as of Tuesday afternoon. We’ll be taking a look at a couple favorites, a couple sleepers, and a couple long shots.

The list includes 42 of the 53 players on the 49ers roster, with most of them much longer odds. Most notably, we don’t see offensive linemen on the list. Positions that have won the award include QB, RB, WR, LB, DE, S, CB, DT and returner (Desmond Howard).

Favorites

Jimmy Garoppolo is the favorite for a reason, but the next closest odds are an interesting one. Raheem Mostert is 9/1, which makes sense given the numbers he put up in the NFC Championship Game. Back on December 31st, DraftKings posted some preliminary MVP odds for a handful of players from each team and Mostert was listed at 33/1. If Tevin Coleman is healthy, he will cut into Mostert’s workload, but if Coleman is limited or inactive, Mostert will have a huge opportunity.

Sleepers

George Kittle is not really a sleeper, but you’re getting some solid odds on him at 16/1. If Jimmy Garoppolo has a big day passing the ball, odds are pretty good Kittle will have a big day as well. The downside is that often the quarterback gets the credit in the Super Bowl, but Kittle is a big enough personality that a couple big plays could be enough to secure the award.

Deebo Samuel is an intriguing sleeper at 33/1 given the ways Kyle Shanahan works him into the offense. Last week against the Packers, Samuel caught two passes for 46 yards and also had two carries for 43 yards. His numbers have been a bit up and down, but he’s proven himself to be a playmaker who can explode at any moment.

Nick Bosa (25/1), Richard Sherman (66/1), and Dee Ford (85/1) don’t have short odds, but if the 49ers defense makes life difficult for Mahomes, one of those three likely factors in. If Sherman gets an interception and has a good day against Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, you know the media would love to vote him MVP.

Long shots

Going deeper down the list, Emmanuel Moseley (150/1) will likely get a big opportunity against the Chiefs receivers. Sherman is the more likely MVP candidate, but an interception or two for Moseley could be enough in the right moments.

Safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are also 150/1, and really anybody in the secondary is a couple picks away from shocking the world. It’s unlikely — thus the long shot nature — but if you want to go deep, Ward in particular could be an interesting flier.

On the offensive side of the ball, you want to consider red zone targets. Kendrick Bourne (200/1) matched George Kittle with five receiving touchdowns, but secured his on just 30 receptions. It feels like every notable drop is matched by a big score. He’s an interesting anytime touchdown wager, and if he’s the red zone guy, maybe the long shot odds pay off.

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