We’ve made it to the final week of the 2021 NFL season and Aaron Rodgers has all but been crowned MVP for a second straight year. The Green Bay Packers QB was a heavy favorite to win the award heading into Sunday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. He remains a heavy favorite after another masterful performance, throwing for 2 TDs and 288 yards in a 37-10 win.
So we’re saying that there isn’t a chance anyone can compete with Rodgers for MVP. Or are we? Let’s investigate the Week 18 opening lines to win NFL MVP on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Usually we’d break this up into sections but there’s really only a reason to talk about the favorites with one game left. We’ll touch on a few very, very long shot players but only for fun. Speculating about this award shouldn’t carry much debate but we can play Devils Advocate a bit. Anyway back to Rodgers ...
The Packers QB may end up sitting in Week 18. That shouldn’t make a difference. The two candidates that could scare Rodgers are Tom Brady and Jonathan Taylor. The Buccaneers QB has the Panthers in Week 18 and could break Peyton Manning’s single-season record for passing yards.
Taylor has the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s sort of self-explanatory. Taylor would have to run for 267 yards to hit the 2K mark. It’s not out of the question. The Colts need the game. He closed at 6/1 while Rodgers was -175 to win MVP heading into this week. JT could close the gap if Rodgers sits in Week 18.
Now onto the fun stuff. Joe Burrow. Let’s talk about him. The Cincinnati Bengals took down the then-No. 1 seeded Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17 34-31 and now Patrick Mahomes is fighting for the spot with the Titans. Hell, he’s fighting for the 1-seed with a few other teams now too (Bills, Bengals). There’s a possibility any of the four teams can get the top spot. Burrow threw for a ton of yards again. He threw for 4 TDs again. A third crazy performance in the final game against the Browns could open our eyes a bit more. This game definitely helped.
Other than Burrow, there isn’t much in terms of “value” or a “sleeper” at this point.
NFL MVP Odds 2021, Week 18
Aaron Rodgers: -400
Tom Brady: +500
Joe Burrow: +1000
Jonathan Taylor: +1600
Cooper Kupp: +2000
Josh Allen: +5000
Patrick Mahomes: +5000
Kyler Murray: +8000
Matthew Stafford: +10000
Dak Prescott: +10000
Justin Herbert: +10000
Derek Carr: +25000
Ryan Tannehill: +25000
Jalen Hurts: +25000
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