More often than not, the winning quarterback in the Super Bowl will also capture Super Bowl MVP honors. The odds are mirrored as such, with Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford the favorite to win the award heading into next Sunday’s big game.
While Stafford (+115) and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (+230) have the best odds on Fanduel, this seems like a good year to seek out value among some of the underdog picks.
Both teams have high-profile non-quarterbacks that are fully capable of dominating Super Bowl 56 and winning the MVP award. The last player to beat out the quarterbacks for Super Bowl MVP was Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman in 2019.
Quarterbacks usually win Super Bowl MVP but bettors at @BetMGM like a few longshots:
$150 to win $15,000 on Jalen Ramsey +10000
$100 to win $10,000 on Evan McPherson +10000
$50 to win $10,000 on Jessie Bates III +20000— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 4, 2022
Other recent non-quarterbacks to win MVP include Broncos edge rusher Von Miller in 2016, Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith in 2014, Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes in 2009 and Steelers wideout Hines Ward in 2006.
Overall, quarterbacks have won Super Bowl MVP 31 times, while players at the other positions have claimed it 25 times. The odds of a quarterback winning are set at -300 by DraftKings, which seems too steep. Here are seven non-quarterbacks worth a longshot wager to win Super Bowl MVP. Odds courtesy of Fanduel on Feb. 4.
Bengals K Evan McPherson (+10000)
McPherson is already reaching cult-like status in Cincinnati. The rookie kicker has been perfect on all 12 of his field-goal attempts in the postseason and famously said “it looks like we’re going to the AFC Championship Game” prior to his winning kick against the Titans in the AFC Divisional Round. For this to come to fruition, McPherson would need to hit the game-winner as well as two or three other field goals. A low-scoring game would also help matters so Burrow doesn’t have standout numbers. Longshot? Sure. No kicker has ever won Super Bowl MVP. But this is a fun one to root for at these odds.
Odell Beckham Jr. is backed by 4.9% of the Super Bowl MVP handle.
Evan McPherson is backed by 4.8% of the Super Bowl MVP.
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) February 3, 2022
Rams WR Cooper Kupp (+550)
The most realistic non-quarterback in the Super Bowl MVP conversation is Kupp. He may win NFL Offensive Player of the Year after a dominant regular season and has been just as good in the playoffs. He has -200 odds to catch a touchdown pass, and if he can get a pair with 100-plus yards receiving, Kupp would be a major candidate. Stafford does not have the name recognition of Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, which could open up the voting for a player like Kupp if each play well and the Rams win.
Rams CB Jalen Ramsey (+8500)
This is a boom-or-bust attempt, but with such long odds it has to be considered. It would not be a surprise to see Ramsey shadow Bengals superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase for much of the game. He will need to do a good job and snag an interception to be in the discussion. Ramsey had four interceptions during the season and nearly had one last week against the 49ers. These odds are long enough to take a gamble, because a late-game pick-six would make Super Bowl MVP a possibility, and by guarding Chase, the Bengals are going to have to throw in his direction.
Rams DT Aaron Donald (+1600)
This was a much more enticing wager early in the week, when Donald was an egregious +50000 longshot to win MVP at BetMGM. A defensive player hasn’t won it since Von Miller in Super Bowl 50, but Donald is the best player in the NFL and wholly capable of wrecking a game and putting up huge numbers. The Bengals have a suspect offensive line and will likely be intent on slowing down Donald, so it’s not my favorite bet among the underdogs, but it would be silly to write it off completely knowing the talent he possesses.
Aaron Donald's odds to win Super Bowl MVP at @BetMGM
Open: +50000
Sunday: +2000
Today: +1600Von Miller was the last defensive player to win the award in Super Bowl 50.
— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 3, 2022
Rams WR Odell Beckham, Jr. (+2500)
Beckam was fantastic in the NFC Championship Game, finishing with nine catches for 113 yards in the tightly-contested showdown with the 49ers. Beckham has been a revelation since joining Los Angeles, and the team probably wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl without him. If the Bengals spend an inordinate amount of resources on slowing down Kupp, Beckham will be the beneficiary. Stafford likes to look his way, and if Beckham can build on his last performance, a Super Bowl MVP is not out of the question.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase (+2200)
Burrow is such a hot name right now that if the Bengals win, he is more than likely going to claim MVP. The one guy who may be able to steal it from him? Chase. The No. 5 overall pick in the draft was phenomenal this year and is capable of having a huge game, even if Ramsey covers him the majority of the time. Chase will almost certainly need 100-plus receiving yards and a score to win MVP, but he’s so talented that it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Best Value Pick for Super Bowl MVP: Rams OLB Von Miller (+4000)
Miller was the last defensive player to win Super Bowl MVP. Can he do it again? The pass-rushing star may not be quite as dominant as a few years ago, but he’s still an upper echelon player at a position that can make impact plays in a game. The Bengals’ offensive line is porous, and its main goal could be to stop Donald on the interior.
I don’t know how to tell you this, but based off absolutely nothing, I’d be placing bets on these three to win Super Bowl MVP:
1) Cooper Kupp
2) Aaron Donald
3) Von Miller— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) February 1, 2022
If that’s the case, then Miller may see a solid amount of one-on-one matchups off the edge. He has two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the postseason, and has seven sacks in his last seven games. As everyone knows, Burrow gets sacked a bunch. It could line up for a big game from Miller, which would get him in the Super Bowl MVP conversation in a low-scoring contest. Don’t discount the past hardware, either. If Miller is in the running, his Super Bowl MVP with the Broncos will be referred to often in the final few minutes, which could impact the voting. At +4000 odds, this is the best wager of them all for a non-quarterback to claim MVP.
