Sports Betting

Josh Allen Should No Longer Be the MVP Betting Favorite After His Abysmal Performance Against the Jets

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Josh Allen looks on before a game.

Josh Allen was the preseason betting favorite to win the NFL MVP award at +700 odds, and deservedly so. Not only was Allen expected to put up monster numbers with his arm and his legs, but the Buffalo Bills were also pegged as the best team in the NFL and the preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Even after losing to the New York Jets on Sunday, the Bills are still the Super Bowl favorites at +290 odds. But Allen, after holding strong as the MVP favorite all season to this point, no longer deserves to be at the top of the odds board. It’s time for sportsbooks to put some respect on Jalen Hurts’ name and make him the MVP betting favorite.

Josh Allen can no longer be the betting favorite to win MVP

Josh Allen looks on before a game.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen warms up prior to a game against the New York Jets | Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Allen has arguably been the best quarterback in the NFL this season from a statistical perspective. Through seven games, he led the league in passing yards per game (314.0), had the second-most passing touchdowns (19) behind only Patrick Mahomes, and ranked second in QBR (76.7).

The superstar quarterback also led the Bills to a 6-1 start in which they were outscoring opponents by a league-best 15.0 points per game. Not even the Philadelphia Eagles, who were 7-0 through eight weeks, outscored their opponents by a better margin than Buffalo.

But that all came crashing down for Allen and the Bills in Week 9.

Buffalo entered its road game against the Jets as 11.5-point favorites. It should’ve been another easy victory and another monster Allen performance, at least according to Vegas, but it turned out to be the opposite. Allen completed just 18 of his 34 pass attempts for a season-low 205 yards, two interceptions, and no touchdowns. He did rush for 86 yards and two scores on the ground, but he hurt his team with poor decisions in the passing game and wasn’t accurate enough all day.

Because of Allen’s dud, the Bills suffered a 20-17 upset loss to fall to 6-2 on the season. The loss wasn’t enough to knock the Bills off as Super Bowl favorites, but it should cause sportsbooks to flip Allen and Hurts in the MVP market.

It’s time for sportsbooks to make Jalen Hurts the NFL MVP favorite

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After leading the Eagles to their first 8-0 start in franchise history, Hurts jumped to second in the MVP betting odds (+350) behind Allen (+120). He should be at the top of the odds board come Monday morning.

Not only did Allen just lose his second game of the season, but he also threw two more interceptions to bring his season total to eight picks. Matt Ryan is now the only quarterback in the NFL with more interceptions than Allen (nine).

As for Hurts, he’s thrown just two interceptions all season. The Eagles QB currently ranks sixth in the NFL in completion percentage (68.2%), seventh in passing touchdowns (12), and sixth in QBR (62.5). He also has the most rushing touchdowns (six) among quarterbacks and ranks fourth in rushing yards (329).

But most importantly, he hasn’t lost a single game. He hasn’t put up a single dud like the one Allen did on Sunday. Hurts has been the best player on the best team in football all year, and that’s what the MVP award is about in the end.

Allen’s time at the top of the MVP odds board should be over. It’s Hurts’ award to lose now.

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