NFL odds: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is the new betting favorite for MVP

It doesn't matter too much who the NFL MVP front-runner is after two weeks. That will change multiple times.

But after two weeks, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the MVP favorite, at least in the betting market.

After the Dolphins moved to 2-0 on Sunday with a win over the New England Patriots, the futures markets moved. Tagovailoa is the new MVP favorite at BetMGM, with +550 odds. Patrick Mahomes is second at +650.

Ultimately, it doesn't mean too much, but it does speak to how Tagovailoa is perhaps starting to get his proper respect as an elite player.

Tua Tagovailoa is the new MVP favorite

Tagovailoa is off to a great start, as are the Dolphins. In Week 1, he threw for 466 yards and led the Dolphins to a comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 2, he had a huge first half, and the Dolphins held on to beat the Patriots.

That's two road wins with Tagovailoa playing very well in both of them. Heading into the Monday night games in Week 2, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 715 passing yards. He has a 102.9 passer rating. Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and other usual MVP favorites aren't off to great starts, but they'll probably get back in the race. Still, if Tagovailoa can stay healthy, he's not going away.

In a fair world, Tyreek Hill would be an MVP candidate, too. But a receiver has never won MVP. It has become a quarterback award. And even though Tagovailoa isn't easily ranked among the top few quarterbacks in the league by most critics, he has been playing at that level since the start of last season, when coach Mike McDaniel took over.

For whatever it's worth, Tagovailoa deserves to be favored in the MVP race after two weeks.

Tagovailoa off to another great start

The Dolphins were a very good team last season whenever Tagovailoa was healthy. The problem was a series of concussions that ultimately ended his season early.

In games Tagovailoa has started and finished healthy the past two seasons, the Dolphins are 10-3. In his 15 starts, Tagovailoa has 4,263 yards, 29 touchdowns and a 105.1 rating. He led the NFL in yards per attempt last season and leads the NFL through two games this season, too.

Tagovailoa has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL the past two seasons when healthy, and finally the MVP odds are giving him that recognition. Whether he wins MVP or not — his odds are still longer than five-to-one, afterall — his start to this season has confirmed that he is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.

Miami didn't get that draft pick wrong, after all.