Dak Prescott's MVP odds continue to rise
The NFL MVP race, at least at this point in the season, seems pretty simple going forward.
Not only will the NFC East champion get a home playoff game, that team's quarterback has a good shot at MVP.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is steadily rising up the odds board at BetMGM. He had a fantastic game Thursday night in the Cowboys' comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks, and on Friday his odds were down to +375, passing Patrick Mahomes for the second-best odds. The only player he trails is Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. Hurts is the favorite at +180 odds.
The NFC East race will be very important in a few ways.
Dak Prescott in the MVP conversation
Prescott is having a tremendous season, though it has taken some time for the MVP buzz to start.
On Thursday night he threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, and threw the game-winner with a little more than four minutes remaining. That continued an absolutely torrid pace for him that started in mid-October.
Over Dallas' last seven games, Prescott has posted a passer rating of at least 109.3 six times. In the other game, he had a 95.3 passer rating in a 33-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Overall in those seven games he has 2,173 yards, 21 touchdowns and two interceptions with a passer rating of 121.5. Probably more important to voters, the Cowboys are 6-1 in those games.
Prescott has been absolutely tremendous, his team is on its way to the playoffs, he gets plenty of exposure as the quarterback for one of the NFL's most visible teams and he was a well-known entity coming into the season. Those are all ingredients that are usually vital in the MVP race.
Prescott's ascension up the odds board reflects his hot streak. Last week he was +1800. After a Thanksgiving win over the Washington Commanders with a massive audience watching, those odds dropped to +800. They got even shorter after the win over Seattle. The Cowboys will probably need to win the NFC East for Prescott to win MVP, but Dallas is just a game and a half behind Philadelphia and face the Eagles at home in Week 14.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys have had only one NFL MVP. That was Emmitt Smith in 1993. Prescott is charging hard for the award, though there's plenty of time left and more than a few viable candidates.
Who are the contenders for MVP?
Hurts took over as the favorite due to the Eagles' 10-1 record and his contributions in many comeback wins. Hurts isn't having an unbeatable season though. He has 10 interceptions. His passer rating is 94.9, behind last season's mark of 101.5 and significantly behind Prescott's rating of 108.3. Team success matters a lot to MVP voters and that's why Hurts is the betting favorite, at least for now.
Even though Hurts and Prescott are the top two, neither is a runaway favorite. The race is still fairly wide open. Mahomes is always a factor. Lamar Jackson is having a productive season for a very good Baltimore Ravens team. Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy are putting up good numbers for highly successful teams. C.J. Stroud probably should get more consideration, and he might if the Houston Texans make the playoffs.
Prescott is the one charging the hardest. He was 18-to-1 to win the award before Thanksgiving. Now he's right in Hurts' rear view mirror.
