NFL odds: Sportsbooks rooting against Jalen Hurts MVP, CeeDee Lamb OPOY
Sportsbooks know which players and teams to root against.
It's nothing personal. But when a team has long odds and a lot of bets on them to win a Super Bowl, or a player winning MVP would be a huge win for bettors, sportsbooks have a rooting interest.
With NFL teams about to report for training camps in a couple weeks, here's a look at the biggest liability for BetMGM in each of the NFL awards futures markets:
MVP: Jalen Hurts
It's close between Hurts and Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has more money bet on him (15%) to win MVP. But Hurts (14%) has the most tickets and longer odds. Mahomes is +700 to win MVP. Hurts is +1100. So Hurts represents the bigger liability at BetMGM.
Hurts was in the middle of the MVP race last season before he suffered a late-season injury. Mahomes went on to win the award. Hurts might have won had he not gotten hurt. Then he was amazing in a Super Bowl loss. It's no surprise that plenty of bettors are backing Hurts.
Offensive Player of the Year: CeeDee Lamb
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase is popular among bettors. He has the most bets in the Offensive Player of the Year market. He's a fine play at +1300. He and Justin Jefferson are co-favorites.
But CeeDee Lamb is a big name on a popular team at more than twice the odds of the favorites. Lamb, the Dallas Cowboys star receiver, is +3000 to win Offensive Player of the Year and he's BetMGM's biggest liability. Lamb is one of a handful of receivers going in the first round of most fantasy football drafts, and has the ability to put up the kind of stats to get him in the OPOY race. It's an interesting bet, one that plenty of people have made already.
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson
Detroit fans love betting on their teams. That has to be one reason Detroit Lions second-year defensive end Hutchinson is the most popular bet to win DPOY. Among all the money bet on the award, 18.7% is on Hutchinson. At 20-to-1 odds, he's a big liability for BetMGM.
Comeback Player of the Year: Russell Wilson
This is a tough award to define, but Wilson's case is easy to figure out. He was bad last season, and if he rebounds for the Denver Broncos and new coach Sean Payton, then it will get a lot of attention. At BetMGM, 33% of the money on Comeback Player of the Year is on Wilson, who is +2500. The favorite for the award is Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin at -300.
Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell
Campbell, the Detroit Lions coach, was the most popular COY bet last year too. Detroit fans love their teams. The Lions are favored to win the NFC North, which would be their first division title since 1993. And Campbell, the COY favorite at +900, is getting 35% of the money bet on the award.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bijan Robinson
It's not a big surprise that Robinson is BetMGM's biggest liability for this award. The Atlanta Falcons drafted the Texas running back eighth overall and he's going to get a lot of work. That's why 36.2% of the money is on Robinson, even as a short +275 favorite.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jack Campbell
Oh, hey, another Lion. Campbell, a first-round pick who should start at linebacker right away for the Lions, is +2000 to win DROY. He is tied for the ninth-best odds. Among the last 10 winners, only one (Shaquille Leonard) was an off-ball linebacker. Campbell doesn't stand out as an obvious sharp long-shot play, but don't tell that to Detroit fans.
