By the narrowest of margins, Matthew Stafford took home the NFL MVP award last season.
Stafford beat out Drake Maye by one first-place vote (24 to 23) and five total points (366 to 361) in the 2025 NFL MVP voting.
Who will reign supreme in 2026?
Let’s take a look at the odds at bet365 Sportsbook from 8 September, and what you need to know about each contender.
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Josh AllenQB, Invoices: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
What you need to know: Allen won the award in 2024, receiving 27 first-place votes compared to 22 for Lamar Jackson. That year, Allen threw for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns, and he also rushed for 12 scores. Allen finished third in MVP voting last season, receiving two first-place votes. In 2025, he completed 69.3% of his career passes, but was also sacked a career-high 40 times.
Lamar JacksonQB, ravens: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
What you need to know: Jackson was unanimously named MVP in 2019, receiving all 50 first-place votes. He joined Tom Brady (2010) as the only player to win the award unanimously. Jackson again won the award in 2023, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes. One voter named Allen the MVP, despite the Bills going 11-6 and Allen throwing 18 interceptions that season. Jackson will look to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2025 season. He played just 13 games, throwing 21 TDs and seven picks. Compare that to his 2024 year, when he threw 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 17 games.
Joe BurrowQB, Bengal: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
What you need to know: Oddly enough, Burrow has never received a first-place MVP vote. Injuries certainly play a role in this fact. In six professional seasons, he has lost six or more games three times. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 2022 and 2024. Last season, he played just eight games, completing 66.8% of his passes along with 17 TDs and five picks.
Justin HerbertQB, loader: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
What you need to know: Last season, Herbert, in a way, decided the MVP race. Eventual winner Matthew Stafford received 24 first-place votes and Drake Maye received 23. Two first-place votes went to Allen and another first-place vote went to Herbert. Herbert will return both of his All-Pro offensive tackles from injury, along with Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator in 2026. He nearly matched his career best for interceptions in 2025, throwing 13 in 16 games. He threw 15 in 2021.
Drake MayeQB, The Patriots: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
What you need to know: Maye almost had this last season, as described above. However, after the Patriots’ playoff run, pundits thought it would have been a mistake to give him the win over Stafford, based on the strength of New England’s regular-season schedule and how Maye performed individually against top defenses in the postseason. But it’s a regular-season price, and in the regular season, Maye threw for 4,394 yards and 31 scores.
Patrick MahomesQB, heads: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
What you need to know: Mahomes won the MVP in 2018 and again in 2022. He received 41 first-place votes the first time (Drew Brees received the other nine), throwing 50 touchdowns that season, ranking second all-time in a single season. In 2022, he received 48 first-place votes. After tearing his ACL late in the 2025 season, Mahomes is expected to start Week 1.
Dak PrescottQB, cowboy: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
What you need to know: Prescott often gets his name in the running for MVP, but he came relatively close in 2023. He finished second to Jackson that year, but even then, he didn’t receive any first-place votes. Last season, he threw for over 4,000 yards and at least 30 TDs for the fourth time in his career.
Caleb Williams, QB, The bears: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
What you need to know: Under coach Ben Johnson, Williams took a big step in 2025. The former Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading the Bears to an 11-6 record, an NFC North title and their first playoff win since 2011. Williams also led the way for the final seven drives. NFL.
Matthew StaffordQB, had: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
What you need to know: Stafford will enter next season as the reigning MVP. Last season, he led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and passing TDs (46). For context, second on the TD list was Jared Goff, who threw for 34 points. It was Stafford’s first MVP award, which arrived in his 17th NFL season.