It's never too early to place some bets on who you think might be the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, especially considering there's a whole lot of potential value to be had prior to the season. Have a gut feeling that someone is going to break out of their shell, perhaps like Lamar Jackson did in 2019? You might as well throw a few bucks on him before everyone else catches on.
However, early on in the 2021 NFL MVP market, there's a leader that has emerged that wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone at all should he be in the running for the league's best player this season.
A year ago, he would have been a nice dark horse to take a flier on. But after throwing for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns (to just 10 interceptions), rushing for another eight touchdowns, and leading his team to a 13-3 record and an AFC Championship Game appearance for the first time since the 1993 season, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is no longer a surprise candidate in the NFL MVP conversation.
And because of that, he's had more bets placed on him for this specific futures bet than any other player in the league.
Allen has also had the most money placed on him, with 13% of the total pool, while Patrick Mahomes (+500) has drawn 11%.
The other quarterback who has been a popular bet, as the tweet from BetQL shows, is a little bit more of an eyebrow raiser.
33-year-old Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams after the 2020 season, and that fresh start under the creative eye of head coach Sean McVay has plenty of bettors intrigued. He's tied for the fourth-lowest odds in the MVP race with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who will be returning from a serious injury.
Allen is third, while Green Bay Packers quarterback — for now — and defending NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is ranked second (+900).
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