Heading into the 2017 season, there is plenty of expectation across the league for many of the best players to put up highly productive campaigns. One of the most popular future bets prior to the start of next season is picking the most valuable player for the year. There are many familiar faces at the top of the list that have been in the conversation for the last several years. Here the top three favorites for the award as shown by Ladbrokes, who have the betting window open until Sept. 8.
Tom Brady: 7/2 Odds
Leading the pack is New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady, who is the odds on favorite to claim the prestigious award for the third time in his illustrious career.
Coming off his fifth Super Bowl victory, Brady put together arguably his most efficient campaign in his 17th season throwing for 3,554 passing yards on 67.4 percent completion rate with 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions along with a 112.2 passer rating. All of this game after he served a four-game suspension for the deflategate situation.
This marked the fewest interceptions that he has thrown in any season while setting the league record with a 14.0 touchdowns to interception rate for players that recorded a minimum of 20 touchdowns. The fact that he’s still playing at a extremely high level even into his 40s is a remarkable feat and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Until he shows otherwise, there is no reason to doubt that Brady won’t be in the MVP conversation for another season that only speaks the tremendous talent that he is.
Aaron Rodgers: 8/1 Odds
The Green Bay Packers star quarterback has been a constant in the regular season MVP award over the last several years having won the award twice. Aaron Rodgers is coming off yet another highly impressive campaign where he threw for 4,428 passing yards on 65.7 percent completion rate with a league-best 40 touchdowns with seven interceptions, and 104.2 passer rating. He finished fourth in both passing yards and passer rating. This included posting a league-best seven games with three or more touchdown passes and no interceptions.
He was the first Packers’ quarterback since Hall of Famer Brett Favre to lead the NFL in touchdown passes since he did so in 2003. He was also just the second quarterback in NFL history to post 600-plus pass attempts and seven or fewer interceptions in a single season. The 33-year-old has established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the league over the span of his first 12 years in the league by breaking numerous records. He is only the player to record a 100-plus passer rating in six consecutive seasons and only to throw 40-plus touchdown passes with seven or fewer interceptions, which he has done twice in his career.
Rodgers has shown throughout his career that he belongs in this discussion on an annual basis, and he leads the Packers to one of the league’s best records there’s no question that he could earn the honor the third time.
Matt Ryan: 12/1 Odds
The reigning league MVP comes in as the third-highest odds to claim the award again in the 2017 season. The Atlanta Falcons star quarterback is coming off his best individual campaign that helped him become the first player in team history to earn the honor where he recorded franchise records with 4,944 passing yards and 38 touchdown passes along with a 117.1 passer rating, which was the fifth-best mark of in league history.
He is also the only quarterback to throw a touchdown to 13 different players in a single season while set a new league record with 9.26 yards per completion while the Falcons scored a league-high 540 points. He also set the team single-game record with 503 passing yards against the Carolina Panthers.
It also helped him become be selected as the Offensive Player of the Year. The 32-year-old was able to guide the Falcons to an 11-5 record while winning the NFC South title and their first playoff appearance since the 2012 season.
His production along with almost flawless play at times along with the Falcons boasting one of the top records in the league paid dividends to him receiving his first MVP award of his career. If he’s able to build off his breakout 2016 campaign along with lead the Falcons to one of the best records in the league, he could add another trophy to his mantel.
Prediction: Brady
It may not be a surprising be choice by Brady has given no reason otherwise to chose another player for the award. He is still playing like the best player in the league even though he’s now 40 years old. What also helps his case is that the Patriots retooled their offense with the addition of speedy wideout Brandin Cooks along with tight end Dwayne Allen this offseason. This is not to mention a healthy Rob Gronkowski, who has shown to be the best receiving tight end in the league he’s on the field. Both Rodgers and Ryan should make appealing cases, but this may be Brady’s award to lose at this point.