Heading into Super Bowl 56, both starting quarterbacks are the favorites to win the MVP, with Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams at +100 odds, and Joe Burrow from the Cincinnati Bengals at +225.
Tom Brady won the MVP for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55, which marked his seventh championship victory and the fifth time he won the Super Bowl MVP.
| Super Bowl 56 MVP Odds |
- Matthew Stafford +100
- Joe Burrow +225
- Cooper Kupp +600
- Aaron Donald +1600
- Ja’Marr Chase +1800
- Odell Beckham Jr +2800
- Cam Akers +3500
- Tee Higgins +4500
- Von Miller +4500
- Joe Mixon +4500
- Sony Michel +8000
- Tyler Boyd +9000
- Trent Taylor +10000
- Tyler Higbee +10000
- Van Jefferson +10000
- CJ Uzomah +10000
- Jalen Ramsey +10000
- Kendal Blanton +10000
- Evan McPherson +15000
- Matt Gay +20000
Out of everyone on this list, Von Miller from the LA Rams is the only player who previously won a Super Bowl MVP. Miller won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos and the linebacker had a monster game against the Carolina Panthers to earn MVP honors. Miller is +4500 odds to win the MVP, and he will try to become only the sixth player in NFL history to win multiple MVPs at the Super Bowl.
QBs: Stafford +100, Burrow +225
If you want a simple betting tip on the MVP, then pick the quarterback from the winning team. The quarterback won the Super Bowl MVP nine out of the last 12 years. Through the first 55 Super Bowls, a quarterback won the MVP 31 times.
Stafford and Burrow meet in a battle between #1 NFL Draft picks. Out of all the quarterbacks picked #1 in the NFL Draft, Burrow made the fastest trip to the Super Bowl in just three seasons. Stafford had the longest wait at 13 seasons because he played 12 tough years with the Detroit Lions before securing his first trip to the Super Bowl with the LA Rams.
The Rams are the betting favorite at +4.5 even though the Bengals are 3-0 ATS in the postseason.
Stafford is even money at +100 odds to win the MVP. Burrow is worthy of a flier at +225 odds because, if the Bengals pull off an upset against the Rams in the Super Bowl, it’s because Burrow had another monstrous and magical performance.
WRs: Kupp +600, Chase +1800, OBJ +2800
If you’re looking for a non-QB to bet on for MVP, then take a look at the top wide receivers on both teams. You have two exciting candidates with Cooper Kupp from the Rams at +600 odds, and rookie Ja’Marr Chase at +1800 odds.
Kupp shattered receiving records this season thanks to an extra game in the regular season and three postseason games. Kupp and Stafford developed a quick rapport and he made a couple of huge catches to pick off the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFC Divisional Round.
Chase locked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year with a standout season as Burrow’s primary target. The two had history already when they played at LSU together and won a national championship. Now, Chase and Burrow are one win away from winning a Super Bowl together.
Keep an eye on Odell Beckham, Jr. from the Rams. Beckham is +2800 odds, but he could become an X-factor in the Super Bowl. He’s played only 11 games since joining the Rams in mid-November, but the Rams are 5-1 when he catches five or more passes. When opposing defenses double team Kupp, Beckham finds a way to get open. If the Bengals put too much emphasis on stopping Kupp, then Beckham has the skills to inflict damage.
RBs: Akers +3500, Mixon +4500
Running backs won the Super Bowl MVP only seven times over the last 55 years. There was a 10-year span between 1974 and 1984 when a running back hoisted the MVP trophy four times (Larry Csonka, Franco Harris, John Riggins, Marcus Allen). Between 1991 and 1998, a running back won the MVP three times (Otis Anderson, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis).
The NFL is a pass-happy league in the 21st Century. It’s no surprise that there hasn’t been a running back to win the MVP since Terrell Davis won it in Super Bowl 32 with the 1998 Denver Broncos.
You’re better off taking a flier on a defensive player than a running back. Defensive players only won the MVP six times, but they won the MVP four times in the last 20 years. In that span, a running back hasn’t won the MVP.
Cam Akers from the Rams is +3500 odds to win MVP, and Joe Mixon from the Bengals is +4500 odds. Akers is the wild card here because he has fresh legs after missing the entire season while recovering from an Achilles injury. McVay could install some slick running plays to take advantage of the Bengals’ lackluster run defense that allows 127.5 yards per game in the postseason. If either team falls behind early by double digits, kiss the running game goodbye.
Kickers: McPherson +15000, Gay +20000
Evan McPherson is the hottest kicker heading into the Super Bowl in a very long time. The rookie is called “Money Mack” because he hasn’t missed a kick in the postseason, and he missed just two field goals in his last 11 regular-season games.
In three playoff games with the Bengals, McPherson connected on a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals, and 4-for-4 on extra points. He knocked down all three of his attempts from 50-plus yards, including a career-high 54 yarder against the Tennessee Titans.
“Being a specialist, you’re kind of like a sniper,” McPherson told the LA Times. “You get one shot and one kill. It’s really cut and dry. You either make the kick or miss it. It doesn’t matter if the crowd noise is at record decibels, you have this one shot, that’s it, all eyes are on you, and you have to make it.”
McPherson is worthy of a flier at +15000 odds to win the MVP, even though a kicker or punter has never won the Super Bowl MVP.
Matt Gay finished the season with the second-best success rate in the NFL at 94.1%, including 98% on his extra points with just one miss all season. Gay missed only three kicks during the regular season, but he had two misses in the playoffs. In three playoff games, Gay connected on 7-for-9 field goals with a perfect 9-for-9 on extra points. He missed his only kick exceeding 50-plus yards.
Check out OG’s Complete List of Super Bowl MVP Winners.
