One of the most popular NFL betting markets ahead of each Super Bowl is betting on who will win the Super Bowl MVP award. One position group has dominated this award in the recent past, but it is always possible that a surprise entrant will swoop in and claim this trophy for themselves. Here, we break down this year’s Super Bowl MVP odds and look back at the history of this award as well.
Super Bowl MVP Odds
Unsurprisingly, the two quarterbacks in Super Bowl LVIII are the favorites to win Super Bowl MVP. But there are a few players who are not quarterbacks that should not be overlooked to win this award either. Here are the latest Super Bowl MVP odds at the top of the board, with odds coming from DraftKings Sportsbook.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | +130 |
| Brock Purdy | +210 |
| Christian McCaffrey | +450 |
| Travis Kelce | +1500 |
| Deebo Samuel | +2000 |
| Isiah Pacheco | +4000 |
| George Kittle | +6000 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | +6500 |
| Rashee Rice | +6500 |
| Nick Bosa | +7500 |
The only player who is not a quarterback and inside of +1000 to win this award is Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners running back has scored four touchdowns in two playoff games for his team this season. If he gets into the end zone multiple times in this game and the 49ers win the Super Bowl, he could very well claim this honor.
Travis Kelce and Deebo Samuel are the only other players at +2000 odds or better. Kelce became the most prolific pass catcher in NFL postseason history, passing Jerry Rice for most playoff receptions in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens. He could easily have another big game to earn MVP, as could Deebo Samuel, who will have an extra two weeks to recover from his injury concerns.
Super Bowl LVIII MVP Prediction
While there are a few appealing options to win Super Bowl 58 MVP at longer odds, we are not going to overthink things. We will back Patrick Mahomes to win this honor at plus money, thanks to the recent history of quarterbacks winning this award. As we think the Chiefs are going to win this game, it stands to reason that Mahomes would be the best option to win MVP.
Also working in Mahomes’ favor is the balance of the Kansas City offense. If the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII, it is unlikely that one skill position player will do enough to make a case that is greater than that of Mahomes, who is tasked with distributing the ball to all of them.
Can a Non-QB Win This Award?
While it is technically possible for a non-quarterback to win the MVP award in the Super Bowl, it has not been exceedingly likely for that to happen. Five of the last seven Super Bowl MVPs have been quarterbacks, while 10 of the last 14 MVPs have been quarterbacks as well. But there have been some recent examples of players from other positions getting the MVP nod, such as Von Miller for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 and Cooper Kupp for the LA Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Super Bowl MVP Betting Strategies
In general, it is smart not to overthink betting on the Super Bowl MVP award, as it most often goes to the quarterback on the team that wins the game. But there are a few key pieces of strategy that bettors should think about before locking in their Super Bowl MVP wagers.
Shop For the Best Odds
The most important thing bettors can do when wagering on Super Bowl MVP is to shop around for the best odds on the player they wish to bet on. Different sportsbooks will have different odds for the MVP award. Looking at all of the legal sportsbook options in your state to find the best price on a player is a way to maximize profits in this betting market.
Betting on MVP Instead of Winning Team
There is a case to be made that it is smarter to bet on Super Bowl MVP instead of on one team or the other to win the Super Bowl. While there are no guarantees, the quarterback of the winning team typically wins this award. Therefore, bettors can get a better price on backing the quarterback of the team they think is going to win than they would get on betting that team itself, which some bettors may prefer.
Super Bowl MVP History
Believe it or not, the Super Bowl MVP award was not always one that went predominantly to quarterbacks. There was a time when defensive players and running backs earned this award much more often than they do today. Below is a full list of Super Bowl MVPs from the recent past all the way back to the very first Super Bowl.
| Super Bowl | MVP | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVII | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | QB |
| LVI | Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams | WR |
| LV | Tom Brady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | QB |
| LIV | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | QB |
| LIII | Julian Edelman | New England Patriots | WR |
| LII | Nick Foles | Philadelphia Eagles | QB |
| LI | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | QB |
| 50 | Von Miller | Denver Broncos | LB |
| XLIX | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | QB |
| XLVIII | Malcolm Smith | Seattle Seahawks | LB |
| XLVII | Joe Flacco | Baltimore Ravens | QB |
| XLVI | Eli Manning | New York Giants | QB |
| XLV | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | QB |
| XLIV | Drew Brees | New Orleans Saints | QB |
| XLIII | Santonio Holmes | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR |
| XLII | Eli Manning | New York Giants | QB |
| XLI | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | QB |
| XL | Hines Ward | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR |
| XXXIX | Deion Branch | New England Patriots | WR |
| XXXVIII | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | QB |
| XXXVII | Dexter Jackson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | S |
| XXXVI | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | QB |
| XXXV | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens | LB |
| XXXIV | Kurt Warner | St. Louis Rams | QB |
| XXXIII | John Elway | Denver Broncos | QB |
| XXXII | Terrell Davis | Denver Broncos | RB |
| XXXI | Desmond Howard | Green Bay Packers | KR/PR |
| XXX | Larry Brown | Dallas Cowboys | CB |
| XXIX | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | QB |
| XXVIII | Emmitt Smith | Dallas Cowboys | RB |
| XXVII | Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys | QB |
| XXVI | Mark Rypien | Washington | QB |
| XXV | Ottis Anderson | New York Giants | RB |
| XXIV | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | QB |
| XXIII | Jerry Rice | San Francisco 49ers | WR |
| XXII | Doug Williams | Washington | QB |
| XXI | Phil Simms | New York Giants | QB |
| XX | Richard Dent | Chicago Bears | DE |
| XIX | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | QB |
| XVIII | Marcus Allen | Los Angeles Raiders | RB |
| XVII | John Riggins | Washington | RB |
| XVI | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | QB |
| XV | Jim Plunkett | Oakland Raiders | QB |
| XIV | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | QB |
| XIII | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | QB |
| XII | Harvey Martin/Randy White | Dallas Cowboys | DE/DT |
| XI | Fred Biletnikoff | Oakland Raiders | WR |
| X | Lynn Swann | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR |
| IX | Franco Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers | RB |
| VIII | Larry Csonka | Miami Dolphins | RB |
| VII | Jake Scott | Miami Dolphins | S |
| VI | Roger Staubach | Dallas Cowboys | QB |
| V | Chuck Howley | Dallas Cowboys | LB |
| IV | Len Dawson | Kansas City Chiefs | QB |
| III | Joe Namath | New York Jets | QB |
| II | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | QB |
| I | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | QB |
