The New England Patriots defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and moved their record to 8-2. They’ve made for one of the biggest surprises in the NFL during the first half of the season, thanks in large part to quarterback Drake Maye, who is now the betting favorite to win the MVP award.
Drake Maye Takes Lead In Race For NFL MVP
Entering the week, Maye was listed at +450 (implied odds of 18%) to take home the game’s highest individual honor. Those were the third-shortest odds on the board at the time, behind Josh Allen (+160) and Patrick Mahomes (+350). But with the Chiefs on their bye week and the Bills being embarrassed by the Dolphins on Sunday, the door was open for Maye to make up ground in the race.
He did that, and more. Maye posted a yardage total of 270 on the day, his fourth-highest output of the season, and accounted for two touchdowns. And while his numbers don’t necessarily jump off of the stat sheet, getting a big win against a tough team has done plenty for his MVP resume.
DRAKE MAYE IS THE NEW MVP FAVORITE 🚨
(via @DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/9IgqSnBtvr
— br_betting (@br_betting) November 9, 2025
As of the conclusion of the early slate of games on Sunday, Drake Maye is now listed at +250 (30%) to win the award, making him the betting favorite.
Patriots Set Up Nicely To Win AFC East Crown
It was an overall good day for the Patriots. They came in with a one-game lead on the Bills in the AFC East, and owned the tiebreaker as well. With Buffalo heavily favored to beat Miami in their game, there was a good chance that New England would end up with the same record as the Bills.
But with the Dolphins’ upset coupled with the Patriots’ victory, Maye and company are now two games up on Buffalo in the division. They own the tiebreaker for the moment as well, but the two sides still have to play one another again down the road.
It will take a large turnaround for the Bills to be able to catch up. Even before Sunday’s action, the Patriots had the softest remaining schedule in the NFL. That is even more true now, with the combined winning percentage of their remaining opponents sitting at .338. They will take on the New York Jets on a short week this Thursday.
