Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz top list of most bet MVP candidates

NFL free agency is one week away, but even with uncertainty surrounding many players and teams, folks already have early favorites for the 2020 NFL MVP award. DraftKings Sportsbook has had MVP odds up for some time now, and two of the most choices are curious ones, to say the least.

Patrick Mahomes (+400), Kyler Murray (+3300), and Lamar Jackson (+600) are all among the most bet players by handle, and I don’t think anybody would be surprised by that. Mahomes and Jackson dominated the league this year and continue to grow. Murray had a wildly successful rookie season, and if Arizona can add some more weapons around him, he should be able to take a step forward in his second season. At +3300, there’s value to be had.

Where it gets crazy is at the top. The most bet by handle is Carson Wentz (+2000) and the second most bet is Jameis Winston (+5000). Wentz makes sense because of DK’s business. Their biggest sportsbook business is in New Jersey followed by Pennsylvania. A quarterback is usually a good bet for MVP, and I’m not surprised NJ and PA bettors might be high on Wentz.

On the other hand, Winston is a head-scratcher. He’s. free agent and it’s not entirely clear if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers even want him back. They might use the franchise tag, or they could make a move elsewhere. Philip Rivers has been mentioned as an option, and Tom Brady will be on everybody’s radar if he hits free agency next week. Winston will likely find a starting gig somewhere, but this kind of wager counts on a strong improvement from his 30 TD/30 INT ways. I just don’t see it.

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