Brock Purdy back as betting-odds favorite for MVP after 49ers throttle Cardinals
By Peter Panacy
32. 49ers Cardinals final score. 45. 42. Final. 29
Briefly slipping out of the favorite to win NFL MVP this season, Brock Purdy has returned with the best odds of getting the award after beating the Cardinals.
It's crazy to go back and think about a time not long ago when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance had better NFL MVP odds than the current betting-odds favorite, Brock Purdy.
As weird as that now sounds, it's true.
Purdy's play this season helps explain why the Niners pivoted away from Lance amid that massive swing and a miss, and it's becoming more and more difficult to call the former out as anything but a legitimate MVP candidate despite whatever context exists.
Perhaps the MVP candidate.
Without diving deeply into the stats and analytics (a simple Google search will reveal Purdy leading the NFL in nearly every significant passing category), it's safe to say the second-year pro will finish the regular season with the coveted award.
I tried to explain that Brock Purdy is the MVP. 4 more TDS today and another win. IDK maybe I’m just crazy… maybe the on the field performance doesn’t matter anymore. 🤷🏾♂️
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) December 17, 2023
And the latest odds suggest it, too.
Brock Purdy returns to being favorite for NFL MVP this season
Purdy entered Week 15 in second place as the favorite for MVP, according to the oddsmakers over at FanDuel, trailing quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
However, Purdy and Co. demolished the Arizona Cardinals 45-29 with the quarterback tossing four more touchdowns against zero interceptions, all for a passer rating of 135.3 that'll increase his already league-best 116.9 mark.
Prescott, meanwhile, floundered at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Dallas' 31-10 loss.
While other factors were likely at play, it's now Purdy who is back in the driver's seat of FanDuel's NFL MVP odds after Sunday's action:
- QB Brock Purdy (-200)
- QB Lamar Jackson (+400)
- QB Dak Prescott (+700)
- QB Josh Allen (+1000)
- QB Jalen Hurts (+1200)
- RB Christian McCaffrey (+2000)
Related story: Brock Purdy will again be MVP favorite after 49ers smash Cardinals
With three weeks of regular-season action left to go, there is still plenty that could happen. And Purdy could see his MVP stock take a tumble, especially if he flounders down the stretch.
Based on what we've seen lately, though, his chances of taking home the MVP award will likely only increase.
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