Josh Allen is still the betting favorite to win the 2025 NFL MVP Award. He is listed at +250, meaning that a $100 bet would net $250 if he were to win. But if you’re looking to place a wager on a player that has more value, then Baker Mayfield could be an interesting choice at +1800.
NFL MVP Odds: Does Baker Mayfield Have A Shot?
Mayfield’s resurgence as a starting quarterback has been impressive. After spending his first four years with the Browns, he was traded by Cleveland when the team decided to acquire Deshaun Watson. With the Carolina Panthers in 2022, he competed with Sam Darnold for the starting job, but was eventually demoted to being the quarterback for the scout team. After requesting his release mid-season, he signed on with the Los Angeles Rams, but had a 2-8 overall record between the two teams.
Is Baker Mayfield ELITE??? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ksReql4ZmY
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 16, 2025
He has found a second life with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but things were not handed to him immediately. The contract that he signed prior to the 2023 campaign was a one-year “prove it” deal worth $4 million, and he was brought in to compete with Kyle Trask and John Wolford for the right to replace Tom Brady as starting QB.
Mayfield not only won the job, but enjoyed the two best seasons of his NFL career in 2023 & 2024. In 34 starts, he posted a 19-15 overall record, threw for 8,544 yards, and had 69 touchdown passes. In the middle of that performance, he was rewarded with a 3-year extension from the Buccaneers worth $100 million, a far cry from the initial contract that he signed with Tampa Bay.
Clutch Drives By Mayfield Have Buccaneers At 3-0
He’s off to a hot start this year. Through the first three games of the 2025 season, Mayfield has seen his completion percentage dip a bit, but he’s been mistake-free. He has racked up 608 total yards thus far, and has thrown 6 touchdowns without committing an interception.
And while those numbers certainly don’t place him near the top of any leaderboards, his ability to simply win has him as a dark horse MVP candidate. The Buccaneers have won each of their first three games thus far, and all of them featured a game-winning drive by Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield is going to be a serious MVP candidate this season.
As a fan of Baker, I'm really excited for him.
As a Browns fan, I am sick to my stomach.
— Ryan Mossor (@DynastyCLE) September 21, 2025
Tampa Bay trailed with roughly 2 minutes left in each of the contests, but wound up winning all three by a combined total of six points. During those clutch drives, Mayfield completed big passes on crucial downs to keep him team in the running.
After Week 3, there are three players who have NFL MVP odds of lower than +1000. Allen is at the top with his figure of +250, trailed closely by Lamar Jackson at +300. The other is Justin Herbert, whose Chargers are 3-0, with a designation of +500. Jalen Hurts (+1600) and Jayden Daniels (+1700) are the only others that are ahead of Baker Mayfield on the odds board.
